Pulvis et Umbra Sumus
by Quatermass
Summary: (Based on whitetigerwolf's "Letter Challenge 1"!) Harry Potter was understandably shocked when he learned he came from another world, that he was adopted by the Potters...and his surviving relatives, the Branwens, have come back to claim him. Severing ties to Magical Britain, with powers that straddle light and darkness, can Harry make a difference on Remnant?
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

So, time for my third published crossover with _RWBY_. This one has been a bit of a saga to start. It came about originally from discussions with whitetigerwolf, and is actually based, at least originally, on their _Letter Challenge 1_. While it was tempting to do one where Harry was Summer's child, I came up with a solution that ties in neatly into recently-revealed _RWBY_ lore.

The original version of this story, as posted in _The Cauldron_ , was originally a Harry/Neo story, but as that felt a little forced the way I was writing it, I decided to change the pairing to Harry/Velvet. That has, admittedly, been done, but Velvet needs more love. There'll also be some worldbuilding outside of the established _RWBY_ canon.

Incidentally, the title means 'we are dust and shadow' in Latin.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _RWBY_. And yes, that includes Volume 5.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, dark themes and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _RWBY_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Professor Port may just bore you to death…


	2. Chapter 1: The Branwens

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **THE BRANWENS**

The bar was dingy and of considerable ill-repute. Just the way Qrow Branwen liked it. As much as he had turned his back on the tribe he had been born into (and didn't Raven love pointing that fact out, not caring that their tribe were a bunch of thieves, rapists and murderers?), he enjoyed roughing it somewhat. As much as he cared about his nieces, not to mention his brother-in-law Taiyang, sometimes, he just wanted to get the hell away from civilisation sometimes, even from a quiet place like Patch.

It was painful to see Ruby, at times. She looked up to him, adored him. She reminded him painfully of her mother, Summer…and of his own paramour. Of a young woman taken from him too soon. Of a camaraderie that had turned to bitter rancour with his lover's brother. Not that the brother had known they were lovers. Hazel Rainart reacted badly enough to Gretchen's death…had he known that she had been sleeping with Qrow, Hazel would have done more than swear bloody vengeance against Ozpin. And Hazel was one scary motherfucker. And that was without going into the rumours that he may have joined forces with Salem.

Salem…to know that a being like that, no, a monster, existed in the world, and had done so for millennia, well, that was cause enough for Qrow to be a dipsomaniac…not that he needed more of an excuse.

Ozpin had sent him on another fact-finding mission to Mistral, mostly to look into the activities of the White Fang, the Faunus civil rights group that seemed to be spiralling into becoming a terrorist group. Qrow sighed to himself, thinking of what Ghira Belladonna would think of what Sienna Khan was doing to the organisation he had led until handing it to the tiger Faunus. Sienna wasn't actually that bad per se, she was quite intelligent, and was more fixated on securing Faunus rights at any cost than actually wanting to usurp humanity…but her hardline stance and willingness to condone violent means had attracted a number of fanatics to the White Fang. And those nutjobs had started to wear Grimm masks, just like a few members of his old tribe.

A bartender came up to him, and said, "Some woman came in and paid for your booze. Probably just as well, you've been knockin' 'em back like there's no tomorrow."

 _Speak of the devil, and she shall appear_ , Qrow thought, before he asked, "Where is she?"

The bartender pointed towards a secluded corner, and sure enough, there she was, waiting for him patiently. With a sigh of annoyance, Qrow took his drink, and walked over to the woman who shared his dark hair and crimson eyes, and the face and hair length of his oldest niece, Yang Xiao Long. His sister, Raven Branwen.

"So," he slurred as he slumped into a chair opposite Raven, "what can I do for you?"

Well, her smirking wasn't a good sign. "I was going to say the same thing. No hello, brother?"

"Save it, sis. You've tracked me down for a reason, and it's not gonna be about how you've finally decided to say hello to Taiyang, Yang and Ruby after all this time. We've had this argument before, so cut to the chase."

Raven bristled somewhat, before she said, "Well, we'll skip the pleasantries. Though family is part of it. The tribe has nothing to do with it either. You are aware of how my Semblance works?"

Qrow nodded, though he wasn't sure what the point was. A Semblance was a unique ability, tied into the Aura (or manifested soul) of a person. Not everyone manifested a Semblance, only those with awakened Auras. His Semblance, sadly, couldn't be activated (or more to the point, deactivated) at will: he was basically an epicentre for bad luck.

Raven's Semblance, however, was an ability to manifest portals, that she could use to go to people she made connections with. In theory, she could use them to visit not only Qrow, but Taiyang and Yang, as he knew she had those connections. Not that she ever availed herself of that, save to watch them, he was sure, in her raven form.

"So, your point is?" Qrow asked.

"Well, Qrow, it might interest you to know that, while I need to make a conscious connection for someone unrelated by blood…it is somewhat automatic for someone of my blood. What's more, it's not confined to Remnant. I could, if I wished to, visit another world, assuming I had someone of my blood or someone I had made a connection to there."

"I fail to see your point."

"Partly because you're drunk."

"And you're a bitch, but tomorrow, I'll be sober(1)."

Raven snorted. "You haven't been sober since our second year at Beacon. It's a wonder your liver's lasted this long, even with your Aura regenerating your liver. My point is, there's a blood relation of ours that I have only recently discovered. I have made discreet trips to observe him. About the only thing he shares with us is our hair. He's thirteen, only a few months away from fourteen. And he's gained some sort of infamy."

Qrow nodded, before something about what his sister said got through his alcohol-addled mind. "Nearly fourteen?" he slurred. "But…"

"I did some research during my visits. He was born about nine months after Gretchen disappeared. What's more, I found this in his possession. One of his teachers knew his adoptive parents, and had kept this letter. I took it from him while as a raven."

Qrow took the proffered piece of paper, his hand trembling not from the DTs but with anxiety. He unfolded the letter, and started reading.

 _Dearest Harry,_

 _As I write this letter, you are asleep in your crib. That said, it is my deepest hope that you never see this letter, that we can tell you this in person. If we're not, both your father and I are dead._

 _Before I go any further, you need to know, James and I love you with all our hearts. Regardless of how you feel after reading this letter, to us you are our son._

 _That last bit may have confused you, and that is where we get into the important part of this letter. While you are our son, I did not give birth to you._

 _Shortly before your birth, your father and I found a woman in our backyard. She was injured, and obviously pregnant. I don't know if you will know this, but I worked as a healer. I did my best to stabilize the woman and save her life...but it was for naught. She died but her child...you,_ _ **lived**_ _. That alone was a miracle, especially as your birth mother had been poisoned, and you were still within her womb. To this day, I am unaware of what exactly the poison that killed her was. Nothing I did was able to stop it, and how you survived it, I have no clue._

 _Your father and I have no idea of your mother's identity. She was, at her best, incoherent and mumbling. She mumbled two words, over and over. I don't if they'll be any help if you ever decide to try and find where you come from, but they were "Crow" and "Salem"._

 _We tried to find out more about her, but we never found anything. Even a blood-test on you was inconclusive, perhaps due to the poison that had run through you and your mother's veins, perhaps for some other reason._

 _When we were unable to find out who your mother was, and hence her family or your father, James and I decided to blood-adopt you as our own. Considering our own problems conceiving, you were a blessing to us, despite the tragic way you came into the world._

 _As I said at the beginning of this letter, I had hoped your father and I would be able to tell you ourselves when you were old enough. But if you are reading this, we obviously weren't. That said, James and I love you, and we always will. Regardless of how you came to us, at this point, you are our son, our little miracle. Never believe that you are not a true Potter._

 _With all my Love,_

 _Your Mother,_

 _Lily Potter_

Qrow stared at the letter in shock. While the contents of the letter were mostly strange to him, one thing came to him. "This…this…this was Gretchen."

Raven nodded. "Given how she spoke of Salem as often as she mentioned you, it would be a fair assumption that Salem captured her. Salem must have found a way to counter that teleportation Semblance of hers, until she found a means to escape…only she ended up a long way from home."

"What do you mean?" Qrow asked.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Keep up, Qrow. It seems that, like my own Semblance, Gretchen's Semblance is capable of crossing over to another world."

"…You're joking."

"Do I look like I'm in a joking mood?" Raven asked.

"You always had a better poker face than me, how the fuck am I supposed to know?" Qrow was babbling a little. Raven had fired a couple of broadsides with those revelations. One was that Gretchen had been pregnant, with his child, and had been captured by Salem. Another was that Gretchen had managed to escape, and gave birth to his child. His child was alive and well…apparently.

As if sensing his thoughts, Raven said, quietly, "Qrow, it's not as simple as that. The kid's very scrawny and short for his age. I think he was suffering from malnutrition for a time. I think he's been abused by his guardians, as his adoptive parents, including that Lily woman who wrote the letter, were apparently murdered when he was one. What's more, he's a wizard. He's going to a school like Beacon, only it's for magic users. I wish I was making this up, before you ask. And for all Ozpin's faults, he at least has a sense of style, not like the headmaster of that school." She shuddered. "It was like a rainbow had dysentery. Apparently there's some fugitive after him too. Some escaped murderer called Sirius Black or something. And before you ask, I've seen pictures of him, and he looks nothing like Marcus Black. And there's soul-eating creatures roaming the grounds of the school. Anyway, I thought I'd bring this to your attention."

"Why?" Qrow asked, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I'm surprised you didn't take him yourself."

Raven scoffed. "We may have had our disagreements, Qrow, on what we think family is, but I thought you'd deserve a chance to meet your son. Maybe even persuade him to come back with us. I'm sure Ruby would love to have an older brother figure…other than a drunken uncle, anyway." She then gave a slight sardonic smirk. "Besides, consider this doing you a favour that I will collect on some time."

Qrow scowled. So that was her angle. Still, Raven, for all her hypocrisy and ruthlessness as a bandit leader, knew better than to betray him about something like that. "So…let's go and see him, shall we?"

* * *

Of course, it wasn't as simple as that. Raven further briefed him on what she had seen. He had to admit to being impressed by how long she spent performing recon, albeit on relatively short jaunts over a number of months. She wanted to be sure that she had the right child, as well as to determine a few things about the territory they were going through.

Qrow was grateful for that: as big a bitch as she was, Raven was smart, and it seemed she retained enough compassion for her brother to actually give this boy, Harry (bit of a boring name, really), to him rather than take him for herself. Given her antagonism towards him or anyone connected to Beacon and Ozpin (hidden behind a mask of calm politeness), he wouldn't have been surprised if Raven didn't kidnap him herself and raise him as her own child, poisoning him against his father and his relatives. Oh, she had the favour to hold over his head, which was still very Raven, but she was giving him a chance.

Then again, would this kid accept them? Would he want to come with them? Okay, Harry had, apparently (according to some pilfered books and overheard conversations), been the target of some terrorist wizard for some time, and said wizard still had lackeys running around, like a wizard version of the White Fang, only it was a privileged minority as terrorists rather than an oppressed one. But still, would Harry agree to come with them?

At the very least, Qrow wanted to talk to him. If the kid had seen the letter, he already knew he had been adopted. And while Qrow would be the first to admit he wasn't the most responsible of people (unless fighting the Grimm and Salem counted, which it sort of did), he wanted to take responsibility here, if only for Gretchen's sake. If the kid didn't want to leave, that was his lookout.

It was a weird experience, travelling through one of Raven's portals. He didn't know whether that was an innate property, or else just the effects of travelling between worlds. Still, it was disconcerting.

The first true sign that Raven was telling the truth was seeing a full moon in the sky…completely and utterly intact, unlike the semi-shattered ruin of Remnant's moon. There was also an ancient castle in the distance, silhouetted against the night sky. Qrow would have been more awed…had he not heard the howl of something that sounded too much like a Beowolf for his liking. Raven had told him there were no Grimm on this world, though.

What he heard next, though, sent even more chills down his spine. A warped, flanging voice cackling in the distance, before saying, " _You wanna play, mutt? Okay…PLAY DEAD!_ "

A sound like a dog's yelp cut off suddenly, and suddenly, something flew over a nearby hillock, and landed heavily near their feet. The resemblance to a Beowulf was uncanny, if it looked more like an animal than a Grimm. Ragged fur, vaguely humanoid shape…and thankfully for them, out cold.

"Harry! You didn't…" yelled a girl's voice.

" _Calm down, Hermione_ ," spoke the same warped voice. " _It was just a lovetap. If Moony's dead from something like that, I'd be surprised. The greasy haired bastard, though, may have been another matter…_ "

After a moment, an older man's voice spoke. "Dammit, Peter's gone! And Ron's out cold!"

Qrow and Raven approached, carefully, and found themselves cresting the hillock to find a strange trio. Well, a quintet, but two of their number, a redheaded boy in his early teens and a rather unpleasant-looking greasy-haired man were out cold. There was a bushy-haired girl of about the same age, clutching at a bleeding arm, and a man wearing rags and with matted, tangled hair.

But what drew the Branwen siblings' attention was the figure dressed in the same robes as the teenagers. Qrow felt another chill run down his spine, when he saw it…no, him. The left half of his face seemed to be covered by what looked like a Grimm's skull, from which an eye peered out, red iris on sclerae as black as pitch…so much like the images Ozpin had shared of Salem. So too was the deathly pale skin, marred by pitch black veins, and bone white hair on the exposed side of his face, the eye on that side covered by what looked like the lens from a pair of glasses. The face was filled with madness and hostility, the mouth twisted into a bloodthirsty smirk. He looked like some unholy hybrid of Grimm and human.

" _Ooh, do I have more toys?_ " the apparition said, before he flinched. The skull seemed to dissolve into dust, and his appearance changed. His skin, while still pale, became less pallid, his hair became a messy thatch of black, and his eyes became an emerald colour…flecked with silver, Qrow noted, even in the night. He became, well, normal. Even frightened a little.

"And who the hell are you two?!" the man demanded. "Were you sent to apprehend me?"

"Perish the thought," Raven said. "We're here for the boy. To talk, more than anything else."

A retort died on the lips of the boy, when those present to feel the temperature of the surrounding area drop rapidly. And with it, a surprising feeling of dread and fear and sheer unhappiness seemed to fill the two Hunters. "Dementors!" the man hissed, as cloaked shapes began flying out of the darkness at them.

"Qrow! Dust rounds!" Raven snapped, before drawing her own sword and slashing at the cloaked shapes. Qrow changed Harbinger into its shotgun mode, and began firing.

But the creatures began to overwhelm them, even as Raven hacked them apart with her sword, and Qrow shot them with Dust rounds. One began to clasp the man's face in its corpse-like hands, like the tender caress of a lover. Qrow could feel these creatures ramp up their aura, and felt despair.

But then, the boy said, "Sirius…Hermione…no! Stop…I SAID STOOOOOP!"

This last word was drawn out into a wail as his eyes began to glow…before that glow suddenly burst into streams of brilliant light, like molten silver formed into wings. Wings that smote every one of these vile monsters in their path. The Dementors screeched, and tried to get away…but the light struck them down. Every last one was annihilated by the blast of energy that had blasted forth from the boy's eyes.

As the light faded, Qrow blinked away the afterimage, to find the boy swaying on his feet. For a moment, his irises were wholly silver, before they changed back to the mostly-emerald colour they were before…and then flickered shut, before the boy sagged to the ground, caught by Qrow.

"He has the Silver Eyes," Raven murmured, before adding as the understatement of the century, "Well…this complicates things…"

* * *

 **OPENING**

 **SONG:** ** _Rise_** **by Origa (opening to** ** _Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2_** ** _nd_** ** _GIG_** **)**

 _As the chords begin, we see Vale at night, with Beacon Academy perched above it, lit by the light of the shattered moon._

I'm a soldier, Znachit ya (And that means)

I otvyetchik i sud'ya (I'm both defendant and judge)

Ya stoyu na dvukh kontsakh ognya (I stand on both sides of the fire).

 _We zoom in, and find, as the lyrics begin, the figure of Harry Potter, walking along the street, only to stop and look at the camera, his emerald eyes briefly glinting silver_ …

Ogibaya virazhi, obgonaya smyert' i zhizhn' (Leaning into the curse, overtaking death and life),

Ya byegu srazit'sya tyen'yu lzhi (I'm running to fight with the shadow of a lie).

 _We see brief flashes of various characters: Team RWBY; Team JNPR; Team CFVY, with Velvet given prominence; Sirius, Remus, Ozpin and Taiyang; Hermione and Ilia; and finally, Qrow and Raven_.

Skol'ko b nityey nye plyol obman (No matter how many threads the web of deception would weave),

Pokhazyet lik svyeta istina (Truth will always illuminate the outline of the light).

 _We then start on an extreme close up of Salem, zooming out to reveal her inner circle, including Tyrian, Watts, Hazel, and Cinder, before that sinks into the darkness within Harry's pupil, as he changes into his inner Grimm with a series of painful-looking convulsions, before leaping at the screen with a leer_ …

Save your tears for the day,

When the pain is far behind.

On your feet, come with me,

We are soldiers, stand or die!

 _A series of fast-moving images. Teams RWBY and JNPR fire on a swooping Nevermore. Harry and Velvet back to back. Adam Taurus confronting Blake, Hermione and Ilia, drawing his sword Wilt on them. Raven walking out of her tent, her eyes showing briefly the effects of the Spring Maiden power. Harry and Velvet embracing. James Ironwood, with Winter and Penny next to him. Ruby confronting Roman and Neo on an Atlas airship, surrounded by Grimm_.

Save your fears, take your place,

Save them for the judgement day!

Fast and free, follow me,

Time to make the sacrifice,

We rise or fall…

 _Hazel contemplating a photo of his sister. RWBY facing off against Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Harry and Hazel facing each other, though whether to fight or to reunite is unknown. Salem and Ozpin facing each other. Harry and Ruby, side by side, racing through the ranks of the Grimm, killing them left, right, and centre, only to find themselves surrounded. Back to back, they shut their eyes, light leaking from behind their lids…and then unleash the power of the Silver Eyes, causing the screen to bleach to white_ …

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Yep. That it does. There'll be a bit of a timeskip to the next chapter, when Harry wakes up…only, it's not in the Hogwarts infirmary…**

 **Incidentally, the lyrics are from** ** _Rise_** **by the late, great Origa, and obviously, I don't own them. The opening was also based a little on the series they were used for,** ** _Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2_** ** _nd_** ** _GIG_** **. The lyrics are mixed English and Russian, so the Russian bits are transliterated, with the translated lyrics in brackets.**

 **Now, what Harry's powers were came about with considerable discussion with whitetigerwolf, whose challenge (** ** _Letter Challenge 1_** **) this was based on (the letter Qrow reads is a slightly modified version of the one from the challenge). I had considered controlling Grimm as in** ** _HVNL_** **by Hellfire17, or even a full-on Grimm transformation as in** ** _The Grimm Huntsman_** **by TheSilverboar. whitetigerwolf was supportive of Harry having the Silver Eyes, but not if it went along with controlling Grimm. If that makes him too OP, especially with the were-Grimm transformation, keep the following in mind.**

 **Firstly, the only two times Ruby uses her eyes in canon (so far) have been under extreme emotional stress. So it has been with Harry (who, as you will discover, has actually used them before, which we will explore later, though anyone who has seen Dis Lexic's own attempt at answering this challenge), and he won't be learning how to master them quickly.**

 **Secondly, giving Harry the part-Grimm form was partly a derivation of the letter, where Lily mentions a poison running through Gretchen's body that didn't affect him. We'll go into further detail later, but let's just say that Salem was involved in an experiment that will backfire. I also wanted to give Harry something that would mean that he'd have to stay away from Magical Britain…and would mean that he doesn't get involved with Beacon as well. As tempted as I was to have Harry attend Beacon, I felt it might seem like an also-ran of** ** _Under the Light of the Shattered Moon_** **. Harry will still get involved in many of the events of** ** _RWBY_** **, but as an independent agent of Ozpin's.**

 **Now, onto Harry's parentage. The idea that eventually spawned this, believe it or not, had Roman as Harry's father (it was derived from whitetigerwolf's attempt at a story where Balalaika from** ** _Black Lagoon_** **was Harry's mother). I had thought of an OC Huntress as his mother, only to hit upon Hazel Rainart's sister, Gretchen. We know so little about her, save that she died young during a mission for Ozpin, so she was fixed as Harry's mother fairly early on. But because of how the story in my mind was turning out, Harry's father eventually changed into Qrow Branwen. This actually offered a neat solution as to how to get Harry to Remnant, too: just make Raven's portal ability stronger than in canon. This saved having to use some magic BS or a Portkey gone wrong or a Veil-assisted transdimensional pratfall.**

 **Now, why does Harry have the Silver Eyes? I'd like to think that, while Gretchen Rainart didn't actually have them, the whole Silver Eyes thing can, potentially, pop up as the result of either the usual mixing up of genes from offspring, or else through a point mutation or two. A bit like, say, how a Muggleborn is born to Muggles. Harry's eyes were changed from their silver colour thanks to the blood-adoption by the Potters, but he's still got them. Making Gretchen the mother of Harry was better than having Summer being Harry's mother. It also sets things up for an interesting conflict between Harry and his uncle.**

 **And the Grimm form? I thought of it as being basically like a more benign version of Ichigo Kurosaki's part-Hollow form from** ** _Bleach_** **. Harry becomes violent and bloodthirsty and a little sadistic, but he's not a danger to his allies or to innocents. He's not quite a split personality, either. Long term readers of my fanfics may remember my** ** _Borderlands_** **fics, with an OC called Richard Snyder, who basically had a condition that was somewhere between the Spark from** ** _Girl Genius_** **and the 'Jack the Ripper' personality of Raiden from** ** _Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance_** **. While it seems like a split personality, it actually isn't, just another facet of the same personality, with less morality and more bloodthirstiness. Harry's used it a couple of times before.**

 **Keep in mind that this is also something of an AU of the Potterverse after the end of Book 1, due to Harry unlocking the Silver Eyes.**

 **1\. Raven and Qrow are paraphrasing an argument between Bessie Braddock and Winston Churchill, though Churchill called Braddock 'ugly'.**


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome to a World of New

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **WELCOME TO A WORLD OF NEW SOLUTIONS,**

 **WELCOME TO A WORLD OF BLOODY EVOLUTION**

Harry didn't know what he was expecting when he woke up, save for maybe the Hogwarts infirmary. That had become something of a habit for him ever since he started learning magic there. But he felt like something the cat dragged in and pissed all over. Then again, this whole past year had been somewhat crappy. Between the Dementors, that letter Professor Lupin got him telling him that he had been adopted, Snape being more of an arse than usual, and the escaped fugitive who he thought was a traitor was actually innocent…well, Harry could be forgiven for feeling like life had a desire to shit all over him.

In any case, as his eyes flickered open, he found himself in some sort of bedroom, in a house. And sitting nearby was a dark-haired woman of an indeterminate age, with crimson eyes, and dressed in red and black. He remembered her from earlier, the woman who had come shortly before the Dementors did. There was something dangerous about this woman that he could sense, something lethal.

"So, you're awake," she said in a soft, calm voice. "Good. The girl, Hermione I think her name was…she was getting hysterical. She's talking to my daughter and stepdaughter. The other two are speaking to my brother and my ex. So, I have been left to explain things."

"…Who are you?"

"My name is Raven Branwen," the woman said. "And I am your aunt."

Harry's first reaction was to laugh quietly in a mixture of disbelief and just sheer shock from the disparity between this woman and his supposed Aunt Petunia. "My aunt," he said flatly.

"Yes. The man you met shortly before we fought those abominations was your biological father, my brother Qrow. Q-R-O-W. Your adoptive mother made the understandable mistake of thinking it began with a 'C'."

"…How do you know this?" Harry asked. "It was in that letter that damned raven snatched…"

Raven scoffed quietly, before fishing said letter from her jacket, and placing it on him. "I don't have much time to waste explaining things to you. I found out about your existence not long ago, and kept you under surveillance for a few months until I could be sure you were who I was looking for. I brought your father to Hogwarts to see you, but, well, you know how well that went down. I won't waste time discussing that. What happened afterwards, though, was interesting. That greasy-haired man, Snape, I believe he was called, regained consciousness, and attempted to attack us. I disarmed him, and he fled. Dumbledore came, and helped us, along with that man Lupin, who had changed back, to the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. We gave something of an explanation of our presence, and I learned that the girl was infected by the attack by Lupin. Shortly after the explanation, while we were arguing about what to do next, Snape barged in, along with a man calling himself Fudge, and a group of people called Aurors."

"Aurors? But why?" Harry asked.

"Snape seemed to be filled with spite about what happened. He claimed you to be a monster, a werewolf that had attacked and injured him, and that you had destroyed the Dementors. They kept talking about the Kiss or the Veil or something. Dumbledore tried to defuse the situation, but Snape attacked Hermione when she protested, calling her werewolf spawn. I cut him in half. Things got…interesting by that point. I knocked out Dumbledore so that he'd have an excuse not to fight. I'm not usually that kind, especially to someone of his fashion sense. I fought those pitiful Aurors after summoning a portal, and had Qrow take you away. Given the threats against them, I took Lupin and Hermione, while Black ran through. Once they were gone, I left, but not before sealing the portal against any pursuers."

"…You kidnapped me?"

"I _rescued_ you. The authorities of your home seemed set on executing you for the 'crime' of destroying a bunch of monsters who shouldn't exist. I doubt you could go home again."

"I could fly back, take a plane or something, wherever you've…taken…me…" Harry trailed off into silence as he looked out the window. And stared.

It was night, just as it was before. But there was something very different in the sky. The stars were in different patterns…and the moon hung overhead…shattered, partly reduced to pieces.

"You're no longer on Earth, Harry," Raven said quietly. "You're on the world where your parents were born: Remnant. As far as I understand it, Remnant is in a parallel universe to Earth. I'm sorry, Harry…but you can't go back home again."

* * *

Raven winced in pain as she walked into the room where Hermione, Ruby and Yang were talking. She didn't feel up to talking to her brother or her ex, or the werewolf and the lech. The bushy-haired Hermione looked up as Raven entered. "He didn't take it well?"

"He told me to get out of the room, and when I refused…well, his magic slammed me into the wall hard enough for it to leave a bruise, even with Aura," Raven said.

"We heard the bang," Ruby said. "We thought it was him slamming the door when he left."

Raven sat down next to her daughter, though not without a moment's hesitation. "He's got Gretchen's temper. Gretchen and her brother were not pleasant when their anger were aroused. Personally, I've done what I can for him. Qrow and Taiyang can deal with him now. I have other things to deal with."

"What things?" Yang asked. "Why did you leave us? Why did you leave Dad?"

"…Because we had differences of opinion, Yang," Raven said quietly, not wanting to go into detail about her falling out with her brother and Ozpin, of the arguments she had with Taiyang, arguments that had threatened to blow up once more when she brought them here. Yang was too young to understand it, Ruby even more so. "And at the time, I thought Summer would do a better job raising the pair of you." A half-truth. "I have duties outside of Patch. I'm sorry. Where I live, you'll be in danger from more than the Grimm, so I can't take you with me. Besides, Taiyang has done a good job of raising you both."

"But will you come back?" Yang asked.

Raven shook her head. "I can't promise that. But…you've now got a cousin. He's going to be confused and angry…but he will need your help. I've given him what help I can." She then stood. Yang got to her own feet, and Raven hugged her, a little hesitantly, but…well, she needed to make up a little for the years of her absence. "Be strong, Yang. For your father, for Ruby, and for Harry. And remember…don't take the words of Ozpin as gospel."

"Please, don't leave," Yang said quietly. But Raven gently pushed her away, and gave her a sad smile, before looking over at Ruby.

"And Ruby…you're so much like your mother." It was painful, really, to see how much of Summer was in the silver-eyed girl…so revoltingly naïve, and yet, there was something about that naïveté that was refreshing too. She reached over and ruffled the girl's dark hair, tipped with red at the fringes. "Do her proud," she said quietly, with a sentiment that she didn't quite feel.

Hermione looked morose, and Raven knew why. Earlier, the girl had begged Raven to take her back, if only to try and retrieve her parents. But Raven had told her, bluntly, that she needed to make a portal to somewhere near someone she had a connection to. A bit of a lie, but in truth, she doubted she could go back without someone she was connected to in that world.

With a nod to her daughter and stepdaughter, she left the room, only to find Qrow present. "Leaving so soon?" Qrow asked, leaning against the wall.

"The boy is awake…and annoyed. I am not in the mood to deal with teenage temper tantrums," Raven said. "I've said my piece to Yang and Ruby. I know you're going to bring him to Ozpin. Make sure that that manipulative old revenant tells him everything. Better at least he learns now what his mother died for than him learning about Salem the way we did. And make sure Ozpin understands that it's his choice to fight Salem or to stay here."

"You're not even going to try to stay? To help the kid? He's been torn away from everyone and everything he knows, pretty much," Qrow pointed out. "We did this to him."

"And I was never that good with dealing with people, brother," Raven said. "You have your son back now. Make him something to be proud of. You've done that much for Yang and Ruby, at least." With that, she formed a portal, and walked through it, back home…

* * *

Of course, things didn't really get better through that night. Harry repulsed Qrow when he tried to speak to him, and Taiyang was busy tending to Black and Lupin. Harry was angry with the Branwen siblings for taking him away from Hogwarts, and he eventually fell into an exhausted, fitful sleep, angry at the world.

He was woken, eventually, by the smell of breakfast, as the door was opened, and a pair of girls came in, followed by an anxious-looking Hermione, who seemed to have dark circles under her eyes. Harry gave his bushy-haired friend a reassuring smile, albeit a painful one. "Hey, Hermione," he said.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said. "You feeling all right?"

"No. I'm still angry. Not at you, but at those two…I mean, Qrow and Raven," he hastily amended, looking at the two girls.

The one carrying the breakfast tray was about his age or Hermione's, maybe thirteen or fourteen, but already with a pretty well-developed figure for her age. Her face and mane of hair reminded him of Raven, though her eyes were lilac, and her hair was blonde. Her expression was also more cheerful, which already endeared her to him more than the woman who claimed to be his aunt.

The girl peering at him curiously, by contrast, was maybe eleven or twelve, with short black hair that seemed to become red at her fringes. Her eyes, wide with curiosity and a little apprehension, were silver. She reminded him a little of himself, for some reason.

"Well, introductions, then," the blonde said, with a smile, putting the tray down on Harry's lap. "The name's Yang Xiao Long. Raven's my mother, though, well, it's complicated. You're not the only one with issues about her. This here's my little sister, Ruby Rose."

On Harry's confused look, Hermione clarified, "Half-sister, Harry. Yang and Ruby share the same father, Taiyang Xiao Long, but different mothers."

"Oh," Harry said, before he smiled as reassuringly as he could at Ruby, who seemed a little nervous. "Hey."

"Hi," Ruby said. "So…you're our cousin?"

"…I guess so, if they were telling the truth," Harry said. "It's just…I'm so bloody angry."

"Hey, I don't blame you," Yang said, patting his hand. "Hermione here told us something of what happened on this other world. Unbelievable though a lot of it was, well…yeah. I can understand why you're pissed off at Uncle Qrow and my mother."

"Language!" Hermione said.

"Swear!" Ruby said almost simultaneously.

Harry chuckled a little, as he began to have his food. "So…we're on another world."

"Yes, Remnant," Hermione said. "After everyone else went to sleep, I read the books they had, an atlas and an encyclopaedia…Harry, this world is very different from ours. While magic is still a rarity, special abilities aren't. Certain people are able to manifest their soul as a protective barrier called an Aura. What's more, they can use a special, unique ability called a Semblance."

Ruby nodded eagerly. "I can go really, really fast, and Yang…any damage she takes makes her stronger. They're both very useful when you're gonna be the best Huntresses in the world!"

"…Huntresses?" Harry asked, around a mouthful of hash brown.

"Yes…Huntsmen and Huntresses are the protectors of this world, against these monsters called the Grimm," Hermione said. "They're monsters that seemingly come out of nowhere, but they're attracted to humans and civilisation…and are particularly attracted to negative emotion. Hunters go after them, clearing up any attacks by Grimm, using Dust. Dust is like a magical crystalline substance that has elemental properties. It's all very fascinating, really. They use it instead of gunpowder, fuel for airships and cars, it's key to many electronics…"

"Breathe, Hermione," Harry snarked.

"Yeah, she went blue in the face, asking all those questions last night," Yang chortled. "She's like Ruby when she geeks out over weapons."

"Yaaaang!" Ruby wailed in embarrassment, and Harry couldn't help but laugh. As much as he despised this situation, being trapped on another world, at least these two were trying to make him feel welcome. Like part of the family.

Family…when he got that letter from Lupin, he thought he knew about his family. Then again, that wasn't the last time he was proven wrong, when Hagrid turned up and tore down the lies the Dursleys told about his family…but then, he learned they weren't his blood relations at all, save by blood-adoption rituals. And yet, if what he heard was true, these two actually were family. Yang was his cousin, and Ruby her half-sister.

He just had to wonder, though, how would they react when they learned about what he did when he got angry? Of the times when he got vicious and brutal? Of the times when he became a monster?

The first time had been when they tried to save Hermione from the troll. Ron had been knocked out, and Hermione had a broken arm, and Harry…he had changed. He had caught a glimpse of himself in the mirrors, and thankfully, the transformation had dispelled before the teachers arrived…though explaining how a troll had its head torn to bloody ribbons was a saga.

How would these two feel if they knew it? Hermione knew, and she kept the secret…but how would they feel?

* * *

Just outside the house on Patch, Qrow was walking away from the house, punching a number into his Scroll, a number few would know. A priority number to the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Ozpin was going to be disappointed that he dropped an admittedly low-priority mission to check on the White Fang, but then again, considering what happened, he needed to do this. Besides, Ozpin would be better at explaining the important stuff to Harry than he was.

After the dial tone, the voice of Ozpin came through. " _Good morning, Qrow. What can I do for you?_ "

"Professor Ozpin…I'm currently at Patch. Listen…we've found something." His voice caught in his throat, before he said, "We've found Gretchen's kid. My kid. He's still alive."

After a pause, Ozpin said, "… _I presume there's more to this story than just finding Gretchen's child, and yours, as wonderful news as that is._ "

"There is. Firstly, he has the Silver Eyes, or can at least manifest the ability. And secondly…I think Salem experimented on him while he was in the womb. He's able to become part-Grimm." He then told him, in brief, what happened.

"… _I see. I'll be on the next Bullhead I can wrangle to Patch. I could do with a break from paperwork, after all_ …"

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's struggling to cope with coming to another world, Yang and Ruby get to know their cousin, and the Wizard of Oz is off to see the Wizard of England.**

 **I summarised what happened before the escape because, frankly, I couldn't be arsed writing it out, and wanted to get to Remnant. Don't worry, Hermione's parents won't be left in the lurch. We'll use Fawkes to do some transdimensional ferrying of people and letters later.**

 **Now, Harry's going to be in a bit of a mood with Raven and Qrow, and considering they all but kidnapped him, that's not surprising. He'll bond much more easily with Ruby and Yang, as you saw, and with Taiyang.**

 **Lupin was found and taken back to Hogwarts by Dumbledore, where he reverted to human, in case you're wondering.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	4. Chapter 3: Ozpin

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **OZPIN**

Harry was avoiding his father for the time being, being more content to stay outside and talk, and even play, with Hermione and the two other girls, along with an excitable Corgi called Zwei. He was a bit more civil with Taiyang, but the sardonic blonde was also bringing Sirius and Lupin up to speed, and in any case, Harry wanted to get to know Yang and Ruby. Yang was showing off what looked like gauntlets…which somehow had shotguns built into them. "…Does every weapon have a gun in it?" Hermione asked flatly.

"Not all of them, but most Hunters wield weapons with dual functions," Yang said with a smirk. "We start weapons training next year at Signal…well, I do. Poor Ruby has to wait until later, but I think Uncle Qrow's going to teach her to use a scythe like he does. Dad's a teacher there, and Qrow teaches there too when he isn't abroad. These babies are called the Ember Celica. I like to get up close and personal, punch my problems till they go down. They also work as ranged weaponry too: I could probably hit a Nevermore from a hundred feet away at least."

"A Nevermore?" Harry asked.

"Think a huge bird Grimm, Harry," Hermione said. "Like an oversized crow or raven."

Ruby nodded. "There's a lot of different Grimm. Beowolves, for example, and there's Ursas and King Taijutus and Death Stalkers…that's why we need the cool weapons."

"But where do they come from?" Hermione asked. "I looked through those books last night, and none of them said anything about where they come from. They disintegrate when they die, they only attack humans and Faunus…"

"Faunus?" Harry asked.

"People with animal features," Hermione said. "Like cat ears, or a fox's tail. I know, I found that strange myself."

"Yeah. A lot of people treat Faunus like crap," Yang said. "There's some movement called the White Fang, turned violent recently. I'm fine with Faunus, and so's Ruby and our family, but a lot of people out there treat them like dirt, especially in Atlas. That's one of the kingdoms, by the way. The Schnee Dust Company apparently treats Faunus like slaves, so the protestors claim. Jacques Schnee claims they're full of it. Anyway, Hermione, believe me, I dunno where Grimm come from, and I don't think anyone knows. They had Professor Port do a guest lecture at Signal not so long ago, and he doesn't know. And he's one of the leading authorities on the Grimm in the world. Well, so he claims."

"Jesus, this is a lot to take in," Harry muttered. "So, Signal is where they train Hunters?"

"Sort of. It's more of a school with a Hunter academy attached. Like high school coupled with Hunter kindergarten. If you do the Hunter courses there and do well, you're pretty much guaranteed a slot at Beacon, which is where the full-on Hunter training begins," Yang said. "Beacon's probably one of the best of the academies that train Hunters: people come to Vale just to attend Beacon, even from as far afield as Anima and Atlas, even Menagerie. And unlike Hogwarts, from what Hermione told me, it ain't in a castle." As Harry scowled, and looked away, Yang said, "Sorry, didn't mean to remind you that things have gone south."

"No, it's not your fault, it's my so-called father and aunt," Harry said.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Raven may be my birth mother, but she's not the one I called Mom. That was Ruby's mother, Summer," Yang said, cuddling her sister close. "Raven left us shortly after I was born. That's the first time I've really met her. She didn't have much to say, really, and I know it's tearing Dad up inside. Uncle Qrow's all right, but there are times when he embarrasses us, really. I can understand why you're angry with him. Just…cool off for now. Hopefully, we can find a way to get you back home, even if only to visit."

Before Harry could give any response to that, they heard a car come up the road leading to the house. "Is that a taxi?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. You usually don't have people going this far out," Ruby said, as the taxi pulled up, and a man stepped out. A man that Yang and Ruby clearly recognised. "Is that…?"

"I think so, but what's he doing out here? Did Uncle Qrow call him out here or something?"

The man was of an indeterminate age. His handsome face seemed to show him as being in his 30s at the oldest, but he had a shock of grey hair, and walked with the aid of an elaborate cane. He had a pair of tinted glasses perched on his nose. And his attitude seemed to have a general sense of age, of sheer ancientness about him. There was something about the man who reminded Harry a little of Dumbledore.

"Good morning," the man said. "My name is Professor Ozpin. It's a pleasure to meet you all…"

* * *

After some preamble, and Ozpin getting Taiyang to make him a mug of hot chocolate, of all things (Harry would have pegged him as having tea or coffee), Harry was led outside by the silver-haired man, who was apparently the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you specifically," Ozpin said.

"Qrow probably tattled on me," Harry snarked.

Ozpin smiled sadly. "He did, yes. I brought you out here for a couple of reasons. The first is to say…I truly am sorry, Harry. Not just about what Qrow and Raven did, though that in itself was foolish. Yes, they rescued you from a dangerous situation, but they also tore you and Miss Granger away from everything you knew. However, I also sincerely apologise because I was somewhat responsible for what happened to your mother, and thus yourself. It was I who sent Gretchen to investigate something very dangerous…and caused her to be captured. If I had known what I did now…unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20, as they say."

Harry didn't know what to say to this. This calm, dignified man was apologising to him, and with what seemed like utter sincerity. Dumbledore had never really apologised for sending him to the Dursleys. After a moment, he said, "Look, I'm still trying to process what the hell is going on, Professor. But…I do appreciate the truth."

"I'm sure you do," Ozpin said. "I will tell you the truth, but I will need to emphasise that this is something that shouldn't be repeated willy-nilly. I presume that you have learned of the creatures of Grimm that haunt our world?"

"Yeah."

"The Grimm are led, for want of a better term, by an entity, a Queen if you will. She was human, once, centuries ago, but pain and betrayal led her on a quest to gain power at all costs, even to her own humanity. Nowadays, she goes by the name of Salem."

"…Salem…my mother, my birth mother…she repeated that name, along with Qrow's, as she was dying."

"That's hardly surprising. In all likelihood, Salem captured her. She is not normally known for taking prisoners, though. Your uncle on your mother's side was once a friend of mine and a powerful ally, until the death of his sister drove a wedge between us, and he vowed revenge. We had no idea of your survival until now. However…well, there is really no easy way to say this. Qrow spoke of your transformed state, the one he witnessed when he first saw you. He said you resembled a male version of Salem, but with a partial Grimm skull mask obscuring part of your face. A human Grimm, he called you. Though I would not use such a term for you."

"And why is that?!" Harry snapped irritably, annoyed at Qrow sharing such things so readily.

"Grimm have no souls," Ozpin said bluntly. "And while not all Hunters have the ability to sense Aura and thus souls, I do. You most definitely have a soul, and a partially-awakened Aura to boot. In any case, I doubted you would have the use of your other ability." He took a sip from his mug, before he said, "Did you notice Ruby's eyes? Silver irises, a rare trait. When awakened, they allow for a power that can harm, even kill the creatures of Grimm, as well as certain dark traits."

Harry stared at the older man, thinking back to the times when he felt something burst forth from his eyes. The first time had been against Quirrelmort, and the second time had been against the Dementors. "But I don't have silver eyes."

"Your eyes have silver flecks. You shouldn't have green eyes either, as your mother had hazel eyes, and Qrow, as you know, has red ones. While Silver Eye powers tend to manifest in family lines, they sometimes spontaneously appear. The genetics involved are rather complex, and it may just be that you either got the right genes from both parents, or else the right mutation occurred at the right time. Of course, awakening the Silver Eyes often requires emotional trauma or stress of some kind. I shudder to think what sort of experience Ruby would have to undergo to awaken her own."

"But she doesn't know?" Harry asked.

"Not yet. I'd prefer to wait until she joins Beacon before I tell her," Ozpin said. "In any case, your Silver Eyes are powerful weapons against the Grimm. But using them can be draining when you're first using them, and Salem and her forces are aware of the dangers of them, and have been working around them. That's another reason not to discuss things with Ruby. She's a good girl, but from what I know, she's very like her mother, and needs to learn the meaning of discretion. She'd boast about her powers out of innocence rather than arrogance, not knowing that if it reaches the wrong ears, she could be targeted for assassination. Or worse. Remember, we believe that Salem performed experiments on you while you were in the womb."

"…But why? Why did she do that?"

"Experiment on you? I can only speculate. The most likely explanation is that she wanted a sleeper agent, a human with the power of a Grimm. For all I know, you are the first successful experiment into that. If I did know, I would tell you, even if only part of the story."

Harry began to shiver. He had a monster inside him, and he couldn't get it out. But then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Harry…I don't see a Grimm in front of me. Monsters living in human skin have existed for as long as humanity has, without the Grimm coming into play. I see a boy, nearly a young man, with vast potential, but lost in a world he knows little about. If I can find a means to send you back home, and I can't promise I can find such means, I will let you know promptly…if you want to go back."

And that's when it hit him. What did he really have to go back to? The Dursleys? He'd been able to move away from them after his first year, moving into the Tonkses' house. Nymphadora and her parents were nice…but it hadn't been long enough to make much of a connection, especially as Nymphadora (who didn't like being called that) was joining the Aurors (and he hoped she wasn't with those who were with Fudge when he tried to arrest Harry and Sirius). Ron had been a friend, true…but with the revelation that he wasn't even a Potter…Harry had to admit, he had found himself increasingly disillusioned with Magical Britain. And if Fudge had tried to have him executed for destroying the Dementors…well, it only went to show. Dumbledore had stated that he was almost certain that Voldemort was dead after Harry used these Silver Eyes on him.

Hogwarts, admittedly, had been more like home than the Dursleys, or even the Tonkses, though the latter was more due to the fact that he barely knew them. But then again, Hogwarts had been filled with peril and contempt from his peers when they weren't adoring him. He remembered when he accidentally revealed his Parseltongue abilities in his second year, and much of the school shunned him for weeks afterwards, some even calling him the 'Heir of Slytherin' or the next Dark Lord.

After a moment, he said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Harry. Should you elect to stay, I should warn you in advance, I may not be able to accept you into Beacon with your condition. You must understand, to become part-Grimm in the way Qrow described to me is an ability that will provoke fear. If that ability is exposed, many will seek to kill you…or to take you away for experimentation. But I know many people who will teach you in spite of that. Your biological father is one of them: for all his faults, Qrow is a good man. When you feel you are ready to be taught by him, know that there are few better teachers."

"And Raven?" Harry asked, scowling a little at the reminder of his biological father and his aunt.

"Raven…she has issues with me, Harry, and many of her grievances with me are admittedly genuine," Ozpin said, sadly. "She is a strong woman, but one of strongly-held views about the world and her place in it, viewing it to be a world of the weak dominated by the strong. Your birth mother's disappearance was one of the many causes for Raven parting ways with Qrow and Taiyang, not to mention myself. But, from what Qrow told me, she cared enough about you to bring you here, to your family. That is perhaps the most heartening thing I have heard about her since she parted ways with us."

"That's not reassuring," Harry said.

"Perhaps. No matter what Raven may have told you about me, one thing she may have told you is correct above everything else: I have made many mistakes in my life, and other people have paid the price I should have," Ozpin said solemnly.

A silence fell between the two, before eventually, Ozpin said, "In any case, I came here partly as a chance to get away from paperwork for the day. I might use that as an opportunity to meet with Ruby and Yang, along with the others Qrow and Raven brought here."

"Just be careful with Hermione, Professor," Harry said, with a wry smirk he felt only numbly. "If she wants to ask you something, she'll talk your ear off with questions."

Ozpin chuckled. "Believe me, I knew Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck when they were young, and they were similar. And I'm always up to teaching…"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, despite being at odds with Qrow and Raven, Harry is not only bonding with Ruby and Yang, but also with Ozpin. Unlike Dumbledore, I think Ozpin would be more willing to divulge secrets. It would still be on a need-to-know basis, but he will explain why he wants things secret, unlike Dumbledore. I think Harry likes him better than Dumbledore because Ozpin actually starts off by apologising to him about what happened to his mother, and that Ozpin bluntly states that he has faults, whereas Dumbledore, even at his best, doesn't admit his faults until called out on them.**

 **This isn't to say that canon Dumbledore is a villain by any means: I prefer to think of him as a deeply flawed but fundamentally decent person haunted by his past and with some poor decision making skills, and I try to reflect that in my non-bashing works, like this one. Ozpin, while similar to Dumbledore in many regards, especially where his flaws are concerned, is still better at sharing information and more personally compassionate (an achievement in of itself, given that Ozpin is at least one or two millennia old). He takes a more hands-on approach to dealing with his charges, despite being in an ivory tower, while Dumbledore is more hands-off.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: Shopping Trip

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **SHOPPING TRIP**

That day marked a turning point. Qrow had decided to leave after a discussion with Ozpin, apparently needing to get back to some mission or other, while Ozpin spent the rest of the day talking with the newcomers about Remnant. He answered a lot of questions, even from Ruby and Yang, who seemed excited to have the Headmaster of Beacon. Especially the former. He even answered some of their questions about their parents and Qrow, who had been in Team STRQ.

Hermione and Lupin seemed to be the ones who asked the most questions, though. Magic, it seemed, was rare here. Ozpin warned them to keep their abilities secret, or else call it a Semblance. The only known magic users on Remnant were the Four Maidens, holders of magic power that were related to the four seasons.

Adapting to the new world was surprisingly easy for the four from Earth. Harry and Hermione had been raised amongst Muggles, and so knew a lot about technology, enough to adapt quickly. Lupin had worked many part-time jobs with Muggles, as his status as a werewolf made him undesirable for many jobs. And Sirius, while behind the times, was better than the other members of his family, understanding, for example, the mechanics of an internal combustion engine, or the concept of electronics and a computer. Technology was more advanced here than on Earth, by at least several decades by Hermione's estimation, but it was still recognisable.

Ozpin admitted that he suggested Qrow leave for now to allow tempers to cool, so that Harry and his father would be able to have a civil discussion later. Sirius had made some snide remark about that: it seemed that he wasn't fond of Qrow. Then again, considering Sirius had left Harry with Hagrid to pursue Peter Pettigrew, well, glass houses and stone-throwing sprung to mind.

And there was also the worry about Lupin being a werewolf (would he transform on a world with a shattered moon?), and Hermione, having been attacked by him, possibly becoming one.

So, to take their minds off the rather heavy matters, Taiyang announced a shopping trip to Vale for the next day. They were on break from Signal for now, so they had time.

It was while on the trip over that the newcomers from Earth met their first Faunus, a rather timid brunette with rabbit ears, sitting nearby in the airship as it flew from Patch to Vale. She was their age, or maybe a little older. Harry was trying very hard not to stare. Taiyang, however, recognised her. "Velvet, how's things?"

"Oh? Oh, hello, Mr Xiao Long. I'm just going for a trip to pick up photography supplies and some books, amongst other things," she said.

Taiyang nodded. "Everyone, this is Velvet Scarlatina. She's in the year ahead of Yang's. Velvet, these two are my daughters, Yang and Ruby. You might have seen them at Signal. These guys are staying with us a while. This is Qrow's son Harry…though they're not on the best of terms for reasons, this is Hermione Granger, this is Sirius Black, and that's Remus Lupin."

The rabbit-eared girl nodded, giving a slight, if somewhat nervous, smile. "Hi." She seemed reassured by their friendly greetings in response. "I've seen Ruby and Yang around Signal, actually. Never really got to meet you before."

"I think I saw you before," Yang said. "Right, you head up the photography club. And aren't you friends with that fashion-obsessed girl, Coco something or other?"

"Coco Adel," Taiyang supplied. "Velvet…well, she's pretty shy. It doesn't help that you have some types that pick on her because, well, you know…"

"Because I'm a Faunus," Velvet said quietly. Her voice, oddly enough, seemed to have the Remnant equivalent of an Australian accent(1). "It doesn't help when the White Fang attacks."

"Well, that sucks," Harry said. "Besides, the ears make you look cute."

Velvet blushed a little, and Yang nudged Harry in the ribs with her elbow. "You smooth operator, you," she teased.

"Sooo, Velvet…what's your weapon?" Ruby asked.

On Velvet's confused look, Taiyang chuckled. "Ruby just loves looking at other people's weapons."

"Oh. Umm, I have a camera, and an attached hard-light projector. I can copy other people's weapons, and even use them temporarily. It ties into my Semblance, as I am able to use the weapons I copy proficiently."

"Oh, wow!" Ruby said, starstruck.

"Most people don't like my doing that," Velvet confessed. "They think it's cheating. And I can only use the images I take for a short period, before I have to take the photos again. But I can't use them quite as well as the people who have trained with them. I can mix up weapons in battle on the fly, though."

"Yeah. Maybe we should get Ruby and Yang in on one of Velvet's sparring sessions," Taiyang said. "Her main advantage in battle is her unpredictability and her ability to switch weapons on the fly."

"That sounds like one hell of an advantage," Sirius said with a whistle.

"Yes, but unfortunately, people don't like her taking photos of their weapons. You have to understand what weapons are to Hunters," Taiyang said. "Velvet means well, and she doesn't take photos without permission, but many don't take kindly to her doing it. That's part of the reason she has few friends, sadly."

"Yeesh, that bites," Yang said. "I mean, I understand a little of it, but if it helps you survive against a Grimm, I wouldn't mind you copying Ember Celica."

Velvet gave a small smile. "Thanks."

"She's like Neville, a little," Hermione murmured. On Velvet's look, Hermione clarified, "You remind me of a friend of ours from back home. He needed encouragement to be the best he could be. I don't think we really gave him enough…"

* * *

For this shopping trip, they were going to stay cheap. While they'd have to wait until they got some money themselves before they could start buying Scrolls (which, while near-ubiquitous, were expensive), cheaper things were another matter. One of their first ports of call was to a second-hand bookstore, run by a man called Tukson. Hermione, naturally, was in heaven, and Ruby zoomed around, looking for stuff to read herself. Lupin picked out books himself at a more sedate pace, as did Harry and Velvet. And despite his burly bulk, Tukson was a friendly man.

It was there that they ran into the first real bit of culture shock: money. Unlike the coins and notes of Britain, or the coinage of Magical Britain, currency seemed to be mostly on special cards like credit cards. Oh, there were Lien coins, but most buying was done with these cards.

They then went to a Dust shop, _From Dust Till Dawn_ , one where Ruby loved to read the latest weapons magazines. She was already known to the elderly shopkeeper, as was Velvet, who used special custom Dust mixtures in her camera and hard-light projector. Harry stared at the tubes of Dust dispensers. Fire, Lightning, Ice, Water, Gravity, and so on. Dust was very much a cornerstone of life here on Remnant. Magic in crystal form.

Through Ozpin and Taiyang elaborating on Yang's comments earlier, he knew that the biggest producer of Dust via mining and synthesis was the Schnee Dust Company of Atlas. They were fairly famous…and rich, but it was claimed frequently by civil rights groups (and of course the White Fang) that they used what was pretty much slave labour of Faunus. Hell, there were rumours of press gangs shanghaiing children into this. These were claims Jacques Schnee and his underlings denied strenuously. It made a contrast to how his father-in-law, Nicholas, ran things: apparently the Faunus with long memories praised Nicholas Schnee's name as fervently as they cursed Jacques'.

Apparently Jacques Schnee had three children. The eldest daughter, Winter, had joined the Atlesian military, while the youngest daughter, Weiss, was known for singing in concerts for charity. Not much was known about the youngest son, Whitley.

They accompanied Velvet to a camera shop. Apparently most people took photos with their Scrolls, which was a bit of culture shock for those from Earth. But there were cameras and camera equipment for professional photography, though it was apparently all digital. Meaning computerised, Hermione explained discreetly: apparently digital photography had been used by NASA for space missions for years back home.

For Velvet, apparently, photography was a hobby, and not just something she used as part of combat. Apparently what drew Coco Adel to Velvet was the artistic style of Velvet's photos. Coco was fairly well known as something of a fashionista, and she loved style in all its forms. For some reason, her weapon was a handbag…that unfolded into a minigun.

* * *

Hermione stared at Velvet flatly. "You're kidding me."

"She isn't," Taiyang said. They were having lunch at a café not far from the camera store called _Bean There, Done That_. "It needed a lot of very expensive Atlas tech to get it compact enough to fit into a handbag, but that's what Coco Adel uses. It'd be very effective against hordes of Grimm. Training against them is not what we do at Signal, though given the Grimm appearing there, even in Patch, it's good to have them ready for practise."

"They're everywhere?" Harry asked.

"Everywhere there's human and Faunus," Yang said, with a shrug, as if to say it was obvious.

Taiyang nodded. "There was this place not far from Vale, where they tried to expand. Mountain Glenn. Used to be a nice place, but then, the Grimm invaded. Now, it's just a ghost town. Rumour has it that some psycho called Merlot was the one responsible. I think he used to work with Ozpin, until things went sour. He's not the only one." His eyes flickered over to someone walking down the street. "Speak of the devil…Roman Torchwick."

Those gathered looked where a young man in a white jacket, a bowler hat, and wielding a cane, strutted down the street. He had orange hair framing handsome, but sardonic features, one of his eyes made up with mascara. Close by was a girl about their age, rather short, with pink and brown hair, carrying a parasol. "That's Roman Torchwick?" Yang remarked.

"Sorry, who?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, that's right, you don't usually watch the news, Ruby," Taiyang said. "Roman's a fairly infamous thief. He's only stayed out of jail because he's useful to the crime bosses around here. Cocky, but skilled. That cane is also a flaregun, called the Melodic Cudgel. Got expelled from Beacon over getting into a fight with another student. Admittedly, that was after one of his friends got killed by a Grimm. But he crippled the guy he attacked."

"That's awful," Ruby mourned. "And the girl?"

"Ah, now she's also infamous. I don't know her name, but rumour has it that she killed the uncle of Hei Xiong. Hei Xiong is a crime boss and information broker most people call Junior, but he's nowhere near as bad as his uncle was. His uncle was known as the Boss…and he also…well, I don't want to say it in front of Ruby. But that girl gutted the Boss. Came out drenched in his blood. Said to be Torchwick's pet enforcer, despite her young age, and probably the only person he cares about, like a sister. Still, there are worse people out there. Be thankful I haven't told you any horror stories about a namesake of yours, Sirius. Some guy called Marcus Black. Infamous assassin."

"I'd deny he was part of my family, but…it's filled with psychos. I blame inbreeding."

Velvet looked askance at Sirius. "What sort of twisted family did you come from?"

"Mine, unfortunately. I'm lucky I don't have webbed toes."

"That's not what I saw in the locker room one time, Padfoot," Lupin remarked with a wry smirk.

" _Shut_ the actual hell _up_ , Moony," Sirius hissed through gritted teeth at Lupin.

"They went to school together," Hermione said on Velvet's confused look. "I don't think Sirius ever grew up."

"Oh."

* * *

It was a very pleasant day out, frankly, even if it was a long and tiring one. Harry and Hermione enjoyed talking to Velvet, as did Yang and Ruby, the latter two offering to be her friends at Signal, much to the bemused delight of the rabbit Faunus. They even traded Scroll addresses, something Harry and Hermione would have to deal with when they got their own Scrolls.

After parting ways with Velvet at the airport, with the promise of seeing her again, they thought the surprises of the day were over. But they weren't. Especially when they entered the house, and found someone there, with Zwei sitting at his feet, showing Zwei's ineptitude as a guard dog. And a very familiar flame-coloured bird was sitting nearby. A snowy owl flew over to Harry, and he all but laughed when he realised Hedwig had perched on his shoulder.

"Ah, there you all are," Dumbledore said. "I was beginning to get a bit worried…"

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and the others have met Velvet, and Dumbledore's come a-calling.**

 **Now, originally, this story was going to be Harry/Neo, but in retrospect, I realised I was crowbarring Neo in in a way that didn't feel natural, and which might conflict with Harry's nature a bit. After some thought, I decided to choose to ship Harry with Velvet: she's adorable and needs more love as a character. Plus, I have some history with shipping Harry with bunny-eared characters: I shipped Harry with the Viera Mjrn in my** ** _Final Fantasy XII_** **cracky crossover** ** _Nitimur in Vetitum_** **, plug plug. Admittedly, Harry/Velvet isn't new, but hey.**

 **Review-answering time!** **jgkitarel** **: Indeed. Though Dumbledore, at least the canon one, owns up to his mistakes eventually. Most of them, anyway.**

 **Sakura Lisel** **: No chance of that happening at all. Raven bisected Snape, remember? But Snape has fixated on James Potter as a scapegoat for his problems, and transferred that to Harry that, once he learned the truth (which was shortly before the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack), he basically had a psychotic break, and decided, '** ** _Fuck this, I don't owe this brat anything as he's not Lily's child, I'm just going to make him suffer_** **'. This got even worse after Harry knocked him out in his inner Grimm form.**

 **Duke Somerset** **: No. No. Hell no.**

 **MidnightFenrir** **and** **comodo50** **: Harry basically wiped Voldemort and his Horcruxes from existence (this will be explained a little more in the next chapter) with the power of the Silver Eyes. Dumbledore realised this (he knows the Horcrux in Harry's head is gone, and when he analysed Quirrel's remains, he found something that suggested Voldemort no longer existed), and actually allowed Harry to stay with the Tonks family rather than the Dursleys, to make up for what he did. So no, no Year 4 shenanigans. Raven won't appear that often in the fic: Harry's understandably still upset with her for effectively burning the bridges Snape didn't, and she's not known for her affectionate side, but her relationship with Yang will be better than canon, and she will, through either Harry or Qrow, share information she deems necessary. Unlike canon, while her loyalties are still to the tribe, she will share more information with Qrow and Ozpin's faction, though she will be keeping her Spring Maiden power to herself. Harry may stumble across the truth, though.**

 **georgiaboy** **: While you have a point, Dumbledore is meant to try and shape his charges into adults, and he has a bad habit of concealing information even from his adult followers.**

 **Guest** **(regarding the poison): It's already pretty much been implied that the poison was actually the essence of Grimm pumped into Gretchen and Harry's bodies during Gretchen's pregnancy. Tyrian is the obvious conclusion when writing a story like this, but sadly, your review is like one of those questions on** ** _QI_** **that gets the Klaxon.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: I don't need pointers on how to do Harry in Remnant, and I have read both stories, as well as EmeraldGuardian7's latest story,** ** _The Wizard's Apprentice_** **. In fact, EmeraldGuardian7 and I have been in correspondence regarding a particular plot twist later in this story. What that is, well, you'll have to wait and see…**

 **Kaiser Dragon** **: No, no, and** ** _no_** **. Though I am drawing parallels with another mythical character…one who wields a spear and, like Harry, transforms into a monstrous form. If you need more hints, well, he's in the Nasuverse…**

 **Drakefire Atomic** **: Again, good points. But I try to reconstruct Dumbledore, at least when I'm not bashing him for a story. I do have him give other reasons why Ozpin keeps Salem secret.**

 **1\. As Velvet's voice actress, Caiti Ward, is an Aussie, I thought I'd allude to that…actually, now that I come to think of it, in** ** _Final Fantasy XII_** **, Fran, another rabbit-eared woman, is played by an Aussie, Nicole Fantl. Food for thought…**


	6. Chapter 5: The Decision to Stay

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **THE DECISION TO STAY**

As funny as it was to see Taiyang and Yang nearly beat the crap out of Dumbledore, the quartet from Earth hastily intervened, and explanations were exchanged. Ruby and Yang gravitated towards Fawkes, and the Phoenix preened at being given so much attention by the two girls. They soon got down to business.

"I'm afraid the situation back home is abysmal," Dumbledore said. "After you left with that Raven woman, I got in touch with Amelia Bones of the DMLE, and had her view my memories of what happened, at least prior to that woman knocking me out. While Amelia agreed that there was sufficient cause to reopen the Black case, Cornelius has ordered her to drop the matter, and has threatened to fire her. I fear Cornelius has discarded any possibility of Sirius being innocent from his mind, and what Raven Branwen did hasn't helped matters. Complicating matters is Remus' transformation and attacking you all, as well as infecting Miss Granger with lycanthropy."

"…They want to execute me, don't they?" Lupin asked.

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said. "And Miss Granger will be expelled from Hogwarts at the very least. That dreadful Umbridge woman is goading Cornelius. And Harry's plight is as great as Sirius' and Remus', due to destroying so many Dementors."

"Why the hell is that?!" Yang demanded angrily, her lilac eyes briefly flashing to crimson. "Given what Mom and these guys were telling us about these Dementor things, you'd think they'd be glad to be rid of them!"

"Oh, I agree, Miss Xiao Long," Dumbledore said. "Personally, I believe that Dementors are one of those creatures that shouldn't exist, and certainly should not be used as guards. But the Ministry made a Faustian pact to allow them to guard Azkaban, and to execute their worst prisoners. They view them as indispensable. Harry's ability wiped out many of them at the same time…and that has people afraid. They worry about what Harry will do if he could use that power on others. That very same power, he used to vanquish Voldemort in his first year, and I believe, given my own investigations, that Voldemort may actually be gone for good. He used vile means to make himself immortal, means which were destroyed when Harry used his powers. And Voldemort's former followers are capitalising on that. They've launched a smear campaign against you already, Harry."

Harry gritted his teeth in anger, clenching a fist, and he could feel Hedwig gripping into his shoulder with her talons. "Professor…" Hermione asked. "My parents…do they…?"

"I have already notified them of what had happened, and what will happen if you return. They are, understandably, upset. I sent an owl to them, as I promised, once I realised Fawkes could ferry people to this world. I believe they are considering following you to this world," Dumbledore said. "And Miss Branwen, I notice she isn't here…?"

"She isn't. She never is," Taiyang said, in a tone that suggested that was the end of the discussion. "Qrow is on a mission for Professor Ozpin."

"Ah, yes, the headmaster of this Beacon Academy," Dumbledore said. "I would like to meet him before I go back to Earth. In any case, Cornelius' actions are disturbing many within the Wizengamot, particularly towards you, Harry. I believe a no-confidence motion will be mooted before long. But it's too little, and too late, I believe."

"And the Weasleys?" Harry asked.

"All worried about you two," Dumbledore said sadly. "Harry…I have failed you so many times already. Indeed, I have failed all four of you. The option is here for you to come back to Earth…but I fear there may not be anything left for you to come back to. You won't be welcome back at Hogwarts, no matter what I do, Harry. If Cornelius does get ousted in favour of someone like, say, Amelia, it may be different, but…you have family here. Having failed you so many times already, I won't take you away from here if you feel you may be happy here."

"You'd better not," Taiyang said. "He's had enough turmoil in his life lately. I won't say he's safe here: no place on Remnant is truly safe with the Grimm around. But he doesn't have to deal with this 'Boy Who Lived' garbage. Did these idiots you teach seriously expect him to be their messiah?"

"They believed him to be such when he, or rather, the ritual Lily used, vanquished Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "But people are fickle, and their heroes can turn into villains if they don't meet expectations."

"Snape always saw me as nothing more than a spoiled brat," Harry muttered.

''Yes, indeed. Severus…I fear I truly did underestimate his spite. He learned that you were adopted somehow. Part of the reason he helped you, grudging though it was, was because he believed you to be Lily's child. But when he learned the truth…he decided that his vow to help you didn't matter."

"Why would he help me because I am Lily's son?"

"Because he had the hots for her," Sirius said.

"I would not have put it so crudely, but yes. Learning the truth sent him through a psychotic break…and I wish I could have stopped him from making the mistakes that ended his life. It's certainly not the first mistake I have made, and I doubt, even at my age, it will be my last. Still, if you wish to come back when things blow over, you're more than welcome to."

"You mean _if_ they blow over," Lupin said.

* * *

The discussion meandered around for a time, before Dumbledore brought out something they'd need: money. Or rather, things they could convert to money. Dumbledore had, after realising he could reach Harry and the others, had gone to Gringotts and had converted some of Harry's monies into bullion and gemstones (the Goblins had even given Dumbledore a receipt for Harry to sign). At a ruinous cost from the Goblins, but gold was still a valuable metal on Remnant, thankfully, and there were places to convert it into Lien. There was more than enough gold to potentially buy not only Scrolls for the quartet, but also pay for room and board for a time, as well as any clothes needed for now. Dumbledore also brought along the trunks of Harry, Hermione, and Lupin.

Given that the newcomers had had to sleep mostly on futons this time (Harry was lucky that he got the spare bed), they were grateful that Lupin had a couple of wizarding tents in his trunk, though Taiyang and his daughters were, understandably, bemused at the vast space inside them.

Dumbledore left with Fawkes, promising to bring back communications from the Weasleys and the Grangers later. And they retired to bed.

Harry couldn't sleep though, and he found himself outside, looking at the stars, and the shattered moon hanging in the sky. Hedwig flew off to hunt. And he found himself sitting there, just outside the house, barely noticing the presence of Hermione until she said, "Can't sleep?"

"No. It's hard to, with this whole situation. Hermione, I'm…"

"Don't. Don't apologise. You're not the one preventing me from being taught at Hogwarts anymore."

"But I dragged you on all those adventures, and…"

"Yes, I know…but…Harry, pursuing Quirrel aside, it's more about things happening to you." She looked up at the moon. "If anything…I'm actually glad that we're here. I mean, it was wonderful enough to come to Hogwarts, the prejudice aside…but a whole other world? There's so much to learn about it."

"Like about the homicidal beasts trying to kill humans?" Harry asked wearily.

"Harry…it's just…our world is filled with dangers too," Hermione said quietly. "I'm not saying Remnant is perfect, but it's just so…well, if my parents agree, I'd be happy living the rest of my life here. What about you?"

"I dunno. I'm still trying to get a handle on the moment," Harry admitted. "But Taiyang's a nice guy, and Ruby and Yang…well, they seem like they'd be good relatives, though the Dursleys set the bar pretty low."

"I understand," Hermione said. "It's Qrow and Raven you have problems with."

Harry nodded. "Raven…she spied on me, stole my letter, and she didn't seem like the nicest person. Qrow…well, he may be my father, but he hasn't been there for me, and, well, he's a drunk, and…I don't really look at him like a father. I was probably only born because he forgot to use protection or something."

"That doesn't matter, not to me. And I think he's a good guy, when he isn't being drunk. Ruby and Yang like him. What about Ozpin?"

"Well, he manned up and apologised the moment he met me," Harry said. "Better than Dumbledore in my book for that. Plus, if there's anyone we need to consult for information we can't normally get, it'd be him."

"That reminds me, what did he talk to you about?"

Harry looked at Hermione, before he said, "You need to keep quiet about this. He said something about Silver Eyes being harmful to Grimm. It obviously hurt Voldemort and the Dementors too. Ruby has them, but to awaken them, she needs to undergo emotional trauma, apparently. As for the other thing…apparently I can turn into a partial Grimm. Ozpin thinks my mother was kidnapped and I was experimented on before I was born. Remember the letter? Apparently the leader of the Grimm is called Salem. She sounds like another Voldemort, only worse."

Hermione contemplated this for a time, before she said, "If you do have those abilities…Harry, this Salem will come after you."

"…I know." He chuckled mirthlessly. "It never ends, does it?"

"…I'll be with you all the way, Harry," Hermione said. And that little bit of affirmation did much to reassure him.

Yes…maybe he would stay on Remnant…

* * *

It was rumoured that Professor Ozpin never slept, but in truth, while he slept less than most, he still needed sleep. Nonetheless, there were nights when he could not sleep, and he spent those nights, wandering Beacon Academy, sometimes sitting at the statue commemorating the end of the Great War, or looking out over the Emerald Forest. Sometimes, he'd go to the airship dock, and look at Vale, which was what he was intending to do now, a mug of cocoa in his hand.

Not for the first time, he cursed the brother gods in his head for inflicting immortality on him. It would have been bad enough if he was unaging and undying, but no, every time he died, his soul would attach itself like a leech to another's soul, and gradually merge with it. More than once, he had committed suicide, only to wake up in another's body. Hell, he had tried enough times to write a monograph on methods involved.

All because he failed to stop Salem. Oh, he had tried his best, but the brother gods had considered that not good enough. And while Remnant needed people to remember Salem, and to work against her, Ozpin felt that there was a vindictiveness behind his curse of immortality. He had known Salem, back when she was human…and perhaps there was more he could have done to stop her from falling into darkness.

He thought about Harry, and the opportunity he presented…and the risk. The combination of the Silver Eyes, and a part-Grimm form could be potent…but would Salem be able to manipulate Harry the same way she could other Grimm? And, perhaps more pertinently, would Harry trust him?

As he approached the airship dock, he sensed the disturbance behind him first, long before he saw the glow silhouetting his shadow, or heard the song, a melancholy and yet uplifting song. He heard the footsteps behind him, and was about to challenge the newcomer when he heard the voice. "Excuse me, my dear fellow, but I am looking for Professor Ozpin."

Ozpin turned around to find a bearded old man in garish robes and with twinkling eyes, and with a flame-coloured bird that seemed to be a Phoenix perched on his shoulder. "Your search is over. Given the descriptions I was given, you must be Professor Dumbledore."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. His eyes peered at Ozpin in scrutiny. Eventually, he remarked, "You share the eyes of my friends Nicholas and Perenelle."

"Hmm? In what way?" Ozpin asked, taking a sip of cocoa.

"You look young…save for your eyes. I wonder why that is."

"A curse, even if many would think it a blessing," Ozpin remarked. "If I had my way, duty aside, I would rather not be."

Dumbledore nodded sagely, and Ozpin noticed that the old wizard seemed to relax slightly. "Those who seek immortality are often those to be wary of," Dumbledore said. "In any case, I came to discuss a delicate matter…namely Harry Potter…"

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Dumbledore's dealing with some things, and Harry and Hermione are all but ready to stay on Remnant. Plus, two old wizards have met.**

 **Review-answering time! A few of you figured out the Cu Chulainn reference in my previous review answers section. Well done. However, a few of you still seem to think that Harry still has the Horcrux in his scar. Dumbledore stated above that Harry's Silver Eyes got rid of all of the Horcruxes…including the one in Harry's scar. He checked after the Philosopher's Stone incident.**

 **comodo50** **: I usually update my newest fics faster. It boils down to inspiration more than anything else, and I know there are authors worse on updates than me. If a fic hasn't been updated lately, then it's due to inspiration. Unfortunately, it will probably get worst in the future. I generally don't delete fics over 20K words, even if I haven't updated them for some time, but if they haven't been updated for some time, then it's safe to assume they're on hiatus. I don't abandon fics if I can help it.**

 **coduss** **: I see your point, and I'm not necessarily making her a good guy straight away. Rather, that she breaks out of this whole 'tribe before everything' mentality. In terms of morality, I was thinking, for example, of Kerr Avon from** ** _Blake's 7_** **, a similar sort of ruthless mentality coupled with an innate self-centredness, but nonetheless allied, even if only tentatively, with the good guys, or maybe Sabalom Glitz from** ** _Doctor Who_** **…if he was more competent and ruthless, anyway. Raven, however, will still begin to reach out to Yang more, and eventually to Harry. By the time of** ** _RWBY_** **canon, Raven and Yang are at least on speaking terms, and Harry will have a détente with her, a professional relationship. Speaking of how she gains the Spring Maiden's power, I actually finished writing Chapter 11, which ends with a scene with Raven contemplating how, and while it's still a pretty nasty thing, I deliberately wrote it so that Raven didn't actually kill the Spring Maiden out of a desire for power, but in a way that her justifications to Yang in canon are true…albeit 'from a certain point of view', to quote** ** _Star Wars_** **. You'll see.**

 **jgkitarel** **: He actually discusses this in a later chapter.**

 **Manda Jr** **: That was a joke in very poor taste. Shame on you.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Growing Bonds

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **GROWING BONDS**

 _A few weeks later_ …

" _In other news_ ," Lisa Lavender, the main reporter for the Vale News Network, said, " _Sanctum Academy has a prodigy that has already made her mark at the age of 14. Pyrrha Nikos won the Mistral Regional Tournament with a superlative display of skill beyond her years…_ "

As an image of a red-haired girl with green eyes, and dressed in vaguely Grecian armour came up on the screen, Sirius whistled. "Hey, Moony. Doesn't this girl look a lot like Lily?"

Remus, who was also watching the TV, nodded. They had been watching a soccer match when the news came on. "And don't whistle at her. She's 14, Padfoot."

"Hey, I'm just wondering whether Harry shares Prongs' propensity for redheads," Sirius said with a shrug.

"He's not James, Padfoot. He wasn't even related to them."

Before an argument could break out between them, Qrow spoke up from where he was seated, a bottle of beer in his hand. "Give it a rest, you two. I ain't drunk enough yet to deal with this crap."

"That can't be healthy for you," Remus observed.

"Nope. Aura does wonderful things when it comes to enhancing liver regeneration, though," Qrow said cheerfully.

"You're not setting a very good example for your son," Remus pointed out.

Qrow shrugged, his cheerful demeanour deflating. "Maybe not…but that's what Taiyang is for. I know I'm not a good role model. At best, I'm the fun uncle. Between the missions for Oz and other things, I'm not so sure I'd be that good for Harry. Besides, he was still givin' me the stink-eye when I came here yesterday. Can't blame him. As much as yanking him from Earth was Raven's doing, I was pretty much her accomplice. If that greasy-haired bastard didn't make things go sour, I could have explained things to him better."

"Hindsight is 20/20," Remus said. "Harry will come around. He's just…in shock over the whole thing. I'm more worried about your sister."

"Raven ain't gonna do much. She's a bitch…but I guess she cares more about her family than I gave her credit for, even if that ain't much."

"Hey, changing the subject, what happened on your mission? I mean, with the White Fang?" Sirius asked. "Anything you can tell us?"

"Not much. It wasn't that exciting, just tracking the movements of the cell led by Adam Taurus. Now there's a nasty piece of work. He's worse than Sienna Khan, and he's got his hooks into Ghira Belladonna's daughter," Qrow said. "Why Ghira handed over the White Fang to Sienna Khan, I've no idea. Maybe he just bowed to popular opinion. You gotta keep in mind, in Menagerie, there's a lot of resentment towards humans, especially those working for the SDC, ever since Jacques took it over. Some loud voices have been calling for more violent measures. So when the White Fang started doing more violent acts, many Faunus either believe it to be justice, or propaganda put out by humans. To be honest, most members of the White Fang in Menagerie are those who protect the Faunus there from the Grimm. So it ain't all black and white, no matter how some people like to see it as."

"It's sickening," Remus said. "The same prejudices, just different reasons."

"I ain't arguin' with you, Lupin. While I was tailing them, this poor chameleon Faunus girl, Ilia I think her name was, turned up. She'd joined in Menagerie, and was assigned to Taurus' cell. I overheard her telling Taurus why she joined the White Fang, about her parents dying in a Schnee Dust mine…and her classmates tormenting her for it. They didn't even know she was a Faunus until she started changing colour. Poor girl…and she's joined an organisation that's spiralling into terrorism. I believe in Oz, but fixing the world ain't easy, no matter what Ruby or Yang think. Harry seems to know that already. Oum, that kid lost his innocence too soon…"

* * *

Harry stared in shock as Hermione found her match in motor-mouth pontification, a rail-thin man with a messy mop of green hair and thick round glasses. They had stopped for a coffee during their latest trip to Vale when Taiyang greeted the man, one Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, who had a clipped, pedantic, and VERY fast way of speaking. And Hermione and Oobleck had begun speaking…and hadn't really stopped.

"Oh dear Oum, there are two of them," Taiyang said, facepalming.

"Actually, it's sort of impressive, considering Hermione isn't as caffeinated as Oobleck is," Yang remarked. "We've had him guest lecture a couple of times at Signal as well."

"It's like the inverse of Binns," Harry muttered. "Instead of being too boring to stay awake to, he's too fast to pay attention to."

"Binns?" Ruby asked.

"A ghost we had as a history teacher. Great cure for insomnia, given how he goes on and on about Goblin rebellions, and nothing else," Harry sighed.

"Sounds a bit like Professor Port, though he's more informative," Taiyang said.

Harry nearly added more, only for his new Scroll, bought on the last trip to Vale, to chirrup. He pulled it out, and found a message. _In Vale. Can I come say hi?_

After a moment's thought, he typed in a response. _Sure. At_ Bean There, Done That. _Oobleck here. He's met his match in Hermione._

 _Oh dear. I'll be there soon_.

"Was that Velvet?" Yang asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. "You don't mind?"

"Nah, she's cool to have around," Yang said. "Plus, she probably needs more friends. A lot of the Faunus students get dumped on, especially because of the White Fang, but even before that, there's a lot who treated them like animals."

Harry nodded. Soon after getting his Scroll, he put Velvet's Scroll address into it, and they began chatting. Harry learned, through Taiyang, that Velvet's parents died shortly after she started rooming at Signal (which did have dorms like Hogwarts). They had died in what was supposedly a Grimm attack on their village, though there were suspicions that the Jaegers were involved, a group of human supremacists who despised Faunus, and had been born shortly after General Lagune's spectacular failure at the Battle of Fort Castle. The Jaegers were rumoured to be bankrolled by Jacques Schnee, with many rumoured members of the Jaegers being part of Jacques Schnee's own enforcers and security guards.

"It isn't right," Ruby muttered. "They just have different ears or tails or stuff, they're still people."

Oobleck, with ears sharpened by years of teaching experience, noted her utterance, and turned his gaze to her. "And you are correct, Miss Rose. Faunus are people, with all humanity's virtues and vices, and yet, there are many who are unwilling to countenance that they are humans' equals. It is because of such appalling treatment that the White Fang came into existence, and took a turn for the worse recently. Ignorance is part of the problem, but some prejudices may never go away," he said in his clipped, rapid-fire speech, though his voice held a lot of solemnity. "The best I can do is to reduce the ignorance in the world through my teaching, and to do my duty as a Hunter."

"Don't forget to breathe, Doc," Taiyang said. "You were like that, and Gretchen and Glynda would always remind you to breathe. Remember the time you passed out while we were gathering sap in Forever Fall?"

"I was merely explaining the manifold uses of the Red Sap. And I did not pass out, merely got a little dizzy from hypoxia."

"You fell over and practically planted your face in Gretchen's chest," Taiyang said. "Hazel nearly tenderised you for that."

Oobleck blushed slightly, and remarked, "That was an accident, and the Rainarts knew it. Hazel always had a temper…not that Gretchen didn't." Oobleck's face fell. "I miss her, Taiyang. Ozpin told me of the fate that befell her. She did not deserve that. I am just glad that she has a legacy that lives on." His eyes flickered over to Harry, who wondered exactly what Ozpin had told Oobleck.

The pall that descended over the group was soon broken when Velvet arrived. "Hello," she said. "Umm, am I interrupting anything?"

"It's fine, things were getting too heavy," Harry said. "How's things, Velvet?"

"Oh, good. Nothing much new, though. Coco's using me as a tailor's dummy, though," she chuckled nervously. "What about here?"

"Hermione has met her match in Oobleck…well, as far as talking at warp speed goes," Harry said.

"I'm just pleased to meet a young, inquisitive mind who can follow what I am saying, and long before she goes to Beacon!" Oobleck babbled. "If only my current students were as attentive and inquisitive!"

"…They speak faster than I can move with my Semblance," Ruby said in a quiet, awed, and somewhat lost tone, her silver eyes wide as Oobleck and Hermione continued their conversation. "How is that possible? How do they _breathe?_ "

"Ruby, you get like that sometimes when weapons are involved," Yang said.

Ruby pouted, and Harry chuckled. Over the past few weeks since coming here, Ruby and Yang had grown on him even more. While technically cousins, they felt more like sisters. Ruby actually reminded him a little of Ginny Weasley in terms of her shyness and social awkwardness, at least outside anything to do with Hunters and weapons, though she opened up fairly quickly to both Harry and Hermione. Yang, on the other hand, acted a bit more like the Weasley Twins, albeit less prank-inclined and more worldly, despite being about 14. Though you didn't mess with her hair unless you had a death wish. She had a bad habit of losing her temper if that happened.

Over that time, Harry had gotten to know Remus and Sirius better. In fact, he thought of Remus better now, as an uncle. Okay, he was annoyed that Remus never tried to track him down at the Dursleys, but between Dumbledore and the draconian laws towards werewolves, even those who tried to avoid being monsters, he could understand it.

As for Sirius, well, he was fun, but Harry…couldn't make the connection Sirius wanted him to have. Sirius seemed to want someone who was James Potter, and Harry…he wasn't sure what to make of that, especially as he now knew James wasn't his real father. Plus, Sirius reminded him too much of Qrow, drunkenness aside, and Sirius also seemed to be still on edge after so long in Azkaban and being on the run.

Letters had been exchanged with the Weasleys, and Harry and Hermione were glad to get in contact with Ron and the Twins. Ron, thankfully, had managed to avoid blame from Fudge about the whole fiasco, and was glad that Raven Branwen killed Snape. He was also glad to hear that they were safe, more of the point. So too were the Twins. The same went for the Tonks family. Indeed, Nymphadora, after hearing about what happened with Amelia Bones, was strongly considering quitting Auror training, wondering whether she could do more good on Remnant instead.

Velvet chuckled. "Is she really that bad?"

"Worse," Yang said with a grin.

"Yaaaang!" Ruby complained. "I am NOT that bad!"

"Yes, Ruby, you are," Harry said flatly.

"Not you too, Harry! Why're you all picking on me?!"

"It's just some teasing, Ruby," Taiyang said, reaching over and ruffling her hair, making her pout. "And you _can_ be that bad…"

* * *

"So, what's it like having Qrow Branwen as a father?" Velvet asked Harry as they had their drinks: tea for Harry, and coffee for Velvet. The others were sitting elsewhere, Yang apparently masterminding having Velvet and Harry get some alone time.

Harry winced. "I dunno yet. I only met him a few weeks ago. Long story short, I had been adopted by other people who found my mother after she escaped captivity. They died fighting a terrorist, and I survived by a fluke. And, well, Qrow and his sister all but kidnapped me when they found me, although we were being attacked at the time."

"Why?"

"A few reasons. One of them was that Sirius was accused of crimes he didn't commit. Another was that I had a teacher with a major grudge against me, and who wanted to spite us by setting the authorities on us. I'll tell you more details later."

"Okay," Velvet said. "But you seem to be a bit angry about him."

"Long story. I mean, he may be fairly well-known as a Hunter here, but to me, I never heard of him until he barged into my life. He and his sister, as I said, pretty much kidnapped me. I was taken from everything I knew, so I'm a bit annoyed to say the least. I feel better around Taiyang and his daughters, my cousins, than I do around Qrow. I dunno what I can say to him. Besides, have you seen how much he drinks?"

"No. I mean, I hear about it when he's teaching at Signal, but he never drinks in front of us," Velvet said. "I heard at least one other teacher call him a drunken old scarecrow."

"Maybe. And there's what happened to my mother. Apparently that made my uncle go off his nut. I wonder how he'd react to knowing I'm alive. Anyway…I'm not sure how much longer it will be before I can talk to him like he's my father. All my life, I was told James Potter was my father, not Qrow Branwen. It's a bit much to take in. I just need time."

Velvet nodded. "Okay. So…will you join Signal?"

"I don't know. I have a very unusual Semblance, one that a lot of people would be scared of. So…it's doubtful. I wish I could, though. This seems more interesting than the school back home."

"Must be pretty bad if your Semblance would be a problem," Velvet remarked.

"Pretty bad, yeah," Harry said. Which was the understatement of the century. If it became known that he could turn part-Grimm, there'd be an uproar of massive proportions. Ozpin and Taiyang had already made that clear.

And that haunted him. The fact that he had such darkness within him. Thanks to Salem, he had to deal with having a monster within.

One thing was certain. He would find a way to avenge his mother…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, we've had Hermione finding someone who could match her in lecturing without needing to breathe. And before you ask, no, this is NOT going to be Hermione/Oobleck. Hermione's too young at this point, and even when she is of age, there is going to be an age gap. No, they're just going to be a very enthusiastic teacher and student.**

 **The Jaegers in this chapter were something I made up on the fly, but they were partially inspired by a brief reference to a human-supremacist group called the Blood of Atlas in the oneshot** ** _Fall of Adam_** **by dracohalo117. I think of them being like the Ku Klux Klan in many regards, or a bunch of neo-Nazis that Jacques Schnee basically controls as his own little private army for dirty deeds. The term Jaeger is German for 'hunter', so they're basically rogue Hunters with a human-supremacist ideology.**

 **Review-answering time!** **hakon2feb** **: Regarding Harry and Hermione's children having Aura and magic, well, they will have both. It's stated that the magical power of the Maidens is separate to Semblances, so any children Harry and Hermione have will have both. I've gone with magical power being derived from Aura, but not necessarily being a Semblance.**

 **Manda's Priest** **:** ** _Holiday_** **is pretty much on hiatus for now. I don't know when I'll update that or** ** _Vert the Emerald and the Cetra Heritage_** **. Don't ask when they'll be updated: the only answer you'll get is** ** _I don't know_** **.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: The Proposal

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **THE PROPOSAL**

Beacon Academy, Harry had to admit, was impressive. While Hogwarts was based in an admittedly spectacular old castle, Beacon looked almost like an ultra-modern cathedral. At the top of the tallest tower were a group of glowing green orbs.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Qrow asked.

Harry nodded. Despite the antipathy he held towards Qrow for the moment, he wasn't yelling at him for now. His anger towards him had died down to a simmer. "So why bring me here and none of the others?" he asked.

"Well, Oz asked me to bring you here. You see, your mother used to be part of what you'd call an inner circle, although she was only brought into it shortly before she died. I personally reckon you're too young to be brought into this, but Oz put up a very convincing argument. I doubt Jimmy's going to be convinced when he hears about this, though."

"Jimmy?"

"General James Ironwood, the top military commander in Atlas," Qrow said. "Has a major stick up his ass, which is mostly metal. Don't get me wrong, Jimmy's good in a fight, good to have on your side, but he's too stiff and too cold, like a lotta people from Atlas. Still, better to deal with him than the likes of Jacques Schnee. Sirius was telling me about these Malfoy guys from Earth, and Jacques Schnee sounds like he'd fit right in. His oldest kid, Winter, is an uptight frigid bitch in more ways than one, but she's self-reliant and ridiculously skilled, I'll give her that, and Jimmy wouldn't let her get as far as she did in the Atlesian military without her being skilled. Dunno about the other two kids."

They continued walking along in silence, before Qrow finally said, "Shit, I'm no good at this. Look, I'm sorry for Raven and I kidnapping you. We did what we thought was best in a shitty situation. If that greasy-haired bastard hadn't been there, we'd have been able to explain things better. And Raven…well, I should have known better than to leave her to explain things to you. Your aunt isn't the nicest of people."

"I sort of gathered that. Taiyang gets a bit odd when she's brought up."

"Yeah, but I grew up with her. We're twins, you see. We grew up in a bandit tribe in the wilds of Anima, the continent where Mistral's located. They believe strength to be paramount. We'd raid people's villages without mercy, leaving them easy prey for the Grimm. I grew out of that when we were sent to Beacon. Y'see, we were sent here to learn how to fight Hunters by learning how they fought. But, well, for a time, we worked under Ozpin, fighting Salem. Tai, my sis and I, along with Ruby's mother Summer, we formed Team STRQ. Your mother, my girlfriend…she was on another team. Her big brother was overprotective, but he was also one of the best Huntsmen in the world, and a damned good man. Actually, Gretchen's disappearance was probably the beginning of the end. Hazel disappeared after threatening Ozpin and any working for him. Raven…well, not long after giving birth to Yang, she buggered off back home. She claims she wanted to lead the tribe, but…Gretchen was one of her best friends, and she thought Hazel had a point about Ozpin. Hell, I can see her point."

"Then why bring me in? Why allow your son to risk his life?" Harry asked.

"Harry, as protective as I am towards Ruby and Yang, I ain't gonna tell them they can't be Huntresses if they want to be Huntresses. Personally, I think I'm gonna have to personally teach Ruby how to fight, because she's been starting weapons training, and, well, she ain't that great. I've been teachin' for a while, and, well, you get an instinct for some things. Some kids aren't cut out to be Hunters, some take to it like a duck to water, and some, well, they need a helpin' hand. I think Ruby falls into the last category. In any case, if you're unable to come to Beacon, if you want to become a Hunter, we'll need to find someone to apprentice you to. Maybe yours truly, or maybe one of the teachers here. In any case, we will have to teach you how to fight, regardless. Your life's been in danger ever since Gretchen fled from Salem. And I dunno how effective magic can be against the Grimm. Frankly, I'd like to make sure my son can survive, even if we've got issues."

Harry would have made a remark about that, but they were nearly at the entrance, where Ozpin was waiting, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand, his cane in the other. Standing next to him was a stern-looking woman with blonde hair, green eyes, wearing glasses. Harry was put in mind of McGonagall, if she was in her thirties and looked sexy in a kind of strict way. "Who's that?" Harry asked.

"Glynda Goodwitch, Ozpin's deputy headmistress and the combat teacher here. She was on the same team as your mother. Bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but she's a good person."

"Ozpin…Glynda Goodwitch…do you guys name yourself after the _Wizard of Oz_ or something?" Harry asked. "I mean, you have the Scarecrow…so where's the Tin Man? Or the Cowardly Lion? Or Dorothy or Toto?"

"Uhhh, what?"

"Never mind."

As they approached, Ozpin smiled. "Harry, good of you to come here. This is my deputy, Professor Goodwitch. She was on the same team as your mother."

"Qrow just told me." He reached out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Professor."

A thin smile touched Goodwitch's lips, and she shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you too, Mr Potter. Or would you prefer Branwen?"

"Potter for now," Harry said. "So…what exactly am I here for again?"

* * *

As they travelled in the elevator to Ozpin's office, Ozpin said, "As you know, magic is a virtual rarity in this world, more so than Earth. True, the presence of Aura and Semblances make up for it, and indeed, magic too is derived from the soul. However, aside from myself, the only true mages that I know of on Remnant are the Four Maidens. This in itself was no accident: the mages of Remnant were subjected to a destructive genocide orchestrated by Salem, as she recognised them as one of the threats to her power."

"And what does Salem want?" Harry asked. "Does she want to destroy the world? Conquer it?"

"Somewhere between the two. Salem acknowledges humanity's potential. Some small part of her still admires it, in her own twisted fashion. Her goal is the subjugation of humans and Faunus, not simply wiping them out, but subjecting them to eternal suffering. She holds a particular hate for me." The elevator dinged, and opened its doors to reveal Ozpin's office, a vast space, the walls seemingly having clockwork built into them, as if it was the inside of a giant clock. "I have been a thorn in her side for almost all of my life," he said, as he walked over to a desk, and sat behind it, peering at Harry from behind his glasses. "She delights in the suffering of Hunters, given how I train many here at Beacon, and I have influence with the other academies around the world."

"So why bring me here?"

After a moment, Ozpin said, "Professor Dumbledore came to see me shortly after he came to see you. We had, admittedly, a lot in common, and not just as headmasters of unusual schools. Dumbledore was filled with regrets about how he treated you, in sending you to the Dursleys, about not telling you why Voldemort was after you and your adoptive family. Indeed, he was filled with self-reproach."

"…Why did Voldemort come after me, then?"

Ozpin shrugged. "Apparently it was a prophecy, of all things, that drove Voldemort to try to murder you, believing that you were the one named in it. I put little store in prophecies. Fairy tales, yes, because such things have grains of truth, hints of the past, but prophecies? Sadly, Voldemort believed in it, a prophecy that claimed one born at the end of July would have the power to destroy him. In any case, Dumbledore gave me some advice, and Qrow has done the same. It was to be frank, as you deserved that much. While I believe you may be an excellent asset in the fight against Salem, it will be your choice whether to join me in a more active role. You will be targeted by Salem, though, for either capture or destruction, for the reasons we discussed on Patch, and we intend to train you up for your protection whatever you choose…but it is your choice to take a more active role in protecting Remnant."

"…I'll listen," Harry said. "That's all I will say."

Ozpin nodded. "Thank you. Where should I begin, then? I am certainly taking a risk informing you, and it goes without saying that this does not go beyond this room. Hmm, perhaps I should start with the most disturbing information."

"Is that wise, Professor Ozpin?" Goodwitch asked.

"If he ever does work for me in a similar capacity to his mother, then I had better lay my cards out on the table."

Qrow scoffed. "Okay, Oz. Just mind you don't make a mistake there. Harry, just don't get shocked when you hear what I think Oz is gonna tell you."

"What do you mean?"

Ozpin leaned back, steepling his fingers. "Tell me, Harry…how old do you think I am?"

"…I dunno. Why?"

"When we met, Dumbledore compared me to a pair of friends of his, the Flamels, a pair of gifted alchemists who were the only people known on your world to perfect the alchemic catalyst known as the Philosopher's Stone. They lived for over six centuries with the aid of the Elixir of Life. I have lived for much longer than they have, albeit not necessarily by choice."

Harry blinked when he realised what Ozpin was saying. "You're…immortal?"

"After a fashion. When I described the method to Dumbledore, he said something about it being disturbingly like a Horcrux, a method he believed Voldemort to have used to gain immortality. Long ago, I was cursed by the powers that be for failing to stop Salem when she first rose to power. I cannot die, Harry. When my physical body perishes, my soul and memory transfer to another body. The process is wholly involuntary on my behalf, and the best I can do is teach my host how to survive and fight, how to tap into my knowledge and power. We eventually fuse. I am the sum totality not only of the original man I was before I was cursed, but of the countless hosts I've had since then. Not everyone who learns the truth about me react favourably, understandably. Your uncle, after your mother died, denounced me as a monster. Raven once called me a parasite on my hosts. I agree that they have points sometimes. I have had this current body for decades now, and I've managed to pass off the lack of aging as an effect of my Aura. Aside from the people in this room, those who know the truth can be counted on my fingers and toes. The last time my nature was exposed, which was by Salem, it caused a pogrom against me and possible hosts for several decades."

"It was because Professor Ozpin tried to publicly disclose the existence of Salem," Goodwitch explained. "She discredited him in retaliation. Salem delights in sowing discord. That attracts the creatures of Grimm far more effectively than outright destruction, as discord generates more negative emotion than mere destruction."

"I am certain she was behind the Great War, and the Faunus Rights Revolution that followed," Ozpin said. "She doesn't take overt actions, lest the people of the world realise that there is a common foe to be united against and destroyed. As for whether it is possible to destroy Salem…I don't know. I have tried many means, and like a mirror image of myself, she comes back from the grave. I have to match her subtlety, working by proxy. I detest having to play at being a chessmaster, because unlike Salem, I value people's lives. I see none of them as pawns or pieces, as expendable. The deaths of the Hunters I train hurts me. So do the conflicts that brew up around Remnant, because with every shot fired in anger between people…Salem wins by increments."

"Did she create the Grimm?" Harry asked.

"No, not initially. The Grimm were creations of one of the powers that be," Ozpin said. "No, she merely altered herself to become their Queen, even a progenitor of sorts. I believe you are her first experiment into creating a hybrid…or at least the first successful one. So…there you have it. Well? Are you still willing to work with me, knowing what I am?"

"…I don't know. I mean…I'm glad you're being frank with me, but…it's a lot to take in," Harry said quietly.

"I'm sure it is," Ozpin said kindly.

"Here. You need a drink?" Qrow asked, proffering his flask. Harry waved it away.

"He's underaged!" Goodwitch snapped, scandalised. Okay, so there was a bit of Hermione in her too, Harry thought. "I know you started such a bad habit early, but there's no reason to encourage drinking in your child at his age!"

"Glynda, when I first heard this shit, I wanted to drink more than I ever did before. And who can blame me? Salem's the stuff of nightmares. We've never managed to penetrate into her current territory that far yet, but we've seen some scary shit anyway. You only have to look at Harry to know this. Only Salem or one of her cronies, or someone like those crazy fucks Merlot or Watts, would experiment on an unborn child and infuse him with Essence of Grimm. My point is, this is overwhelming to Harry. Those idiots back on Earth thought him an Oum-damned _messiah!_ Please tell me, Oz, that you're not going to have Harry in such a position this time!"

"Of course not! I'd rather have him as an inspiration to others wholly on his own terms!" Ozpin snapped. "I have seen many people touted as the salvation of Remnant, only to fall to the Grimm, or to Salem herself, or to the violence of humans and Faunus! Hope-bringers are the ones Salem delights in targeting! Summer, for example…we still don't know exactly what happened to her. Gretchen…well, we know now." Ozpin's face fell, looking every second of his indeterminately long age. "And there are so many who could be the hope of his generation, Qrow. Harry, Yang, Ruby…there's also Pyrrha Nikos, whom you may have seen on the news recently…and there are the hints of what James has been doing. Victory lies not in strength, but in hope, and other abstract qualities. The devotion and optimism of a simple soul. The determination and will of a tempered one. But I will not hold any of them up as exemplars unless they are ready and willing!"

Goodwitch resettled her glasses on her nose. "I daresay holding up Mr Potter as an exemplar would be a risky venture anyway, given his Semblance."

"I'm right here, you know," Harry snarked.

Ozpin looked at Harry, and nodded. "Sorry. Harry…I should ask again, are you willing to work with me?"

Harry, after a moment, chuckled bleakly. He realised he had made the decision long before he accompanied Qrow to Beacon. Hermione had once lamented to Ruby and Yang that Harry had a 'saving people thing'. Why stop what he was good at? "Yeah, I guess."

And the look of relief and happiness tinged with sadness on Ozpin's face said it all. "…Thank you, Harry. Now, let's try and see what we can find out about your abilities…"

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's agreed to work with Ozpin. Now, some of you may be wondering why Ozpin revealed such a secret so early to Harry. Ozpin is trying to ensure Harry stays an ally to him, and took a gamble based on Dumbledore's advice. Harry, with both the Silver Eyes and the were-Grimm form, may be a valuable ally, or a dangerous enemy. Thankfully, things like Legilimency don't really exist on Remnant (unless you're a mage from the Potterverse, or it's a Semblance), so there's a little less risk.**

 **After the next chapter will be timeskip of a couple of years. There may be more until** ** _RWBY_** **canon comes around.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Have a Little Feith** **: I can't promise to integrate the Weasley twins into the story, but I might. As for the Patronus and the Silver Eyes being related, well, they have not dissimilar effects, but they have different degrees of power. It's like comparing a taser to a lightning bolt.**

 **DocSlendy** **: Well, I dunno about taming her, but I do have an interesting pairing for Hermione.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: If you're talking about how I describe Dumbledore had clothing like a rainbow had dysentery, it was just Raven being snarky. I like that metaphor, using it to describe the Sixth Doctor's infamous coat in** ** _Doctor Who_** **. I've also seen the Sonic Rainboom in multiple episodes of** ** _Death Battle_** **, so I know what it looks like.**

 **As for making Harry a Vizard (or however the hell you spell it), well, I was inspired by Ichigo's part-Hollow form from** ** _Bleach_** **, but as I don't know as much about the series as I'd like (I've only read the first three volumes so far, and what I know about the series beyond that is from fanfics and a few looks at the various wikis), I'm not sure what a Vizard or Visored or whatever is, so if he is one, it's coincidental insomuch as I based it on Ichigo's inner Hollow. He will be as powerful as he needs to be for the needs of the story (so, not too OP, but able to pull out a win in a pinch), but at the moment, his inner Grimm is actually fairly weak (at least against seasoned Hunters or stronger foes, though against most Grimm and even some adversaries, it's overkill). And given how many times Ruby herself has used her Silver Eyes in canon, well, Harry isn't going to be able to use them at will, more as a sort of Limit Break when he is cornered.**

 **Remzal Von Enili** **: You know, I might just do that, depending.**

 **hakon2feb** **: I'm considering making Hermione part of a team at Beacon. And yes, he will interact with the various teams. Before the canon events of** ** _RWBY_** **, he will definitely have interactions with Pyrrha and Blake, and I want to have Ozpin bring him in to bring Jaune up to snuff before he goes to Beacon. As for Harry's relationship with Qrow, Sirius and Remus, he will be on much better terms with the latter, but Sirius? Well, it'll be a warm relationship, but not like canon. And Harry will eventually think of Qrow as a father figure, but it WILL take until the beginning of** ** _RWBY_** **canon for that to happen. His relationship will be a little better after the timeskip, after they've done some training together.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	9. Chapter 8: The Inner Grimm

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **THE INNER GRIMM**

"So, you have an arena?" Harry asked, looking around at the room he had been led to. It was like a small amphitheatre, only with elements of a classroom, complete with whiteboard and a TV screen.

Goodwitch nodded. "While the main task of Hunters is to fight the Grimm, they are also sent as fighters against rogue Hunters, criminals that the local police have trouble with, terrorists like what the White Fang has become or the Jaegers…so Hunters do need to learn how to fight other people. Professor Port also has an arena in his classroom, allowing students to fight Grimm he has captured. Usually a Beowolf or a Boarbatusk. For all the man's bombast, he is an expert at capturing Grimm alive."

"He's also a great cure for insomnia," Qrow snarked. "He could bore for Vale if they ever made boring speeches part of the Vytal Festival Tournament. And if Grimm were capable of being bored to death, then Jimmy could weaponise it and…"

"Yes, Qrow, you've made your point," Ozpin said, sipping from his mug of hot chocolate. "Port's anecdotes are useful, one just has to patiently sift through the superfluous parts to find the nuggets of wisdom. However, I will tell James of your novel idea. In any case, I brought you here because, well, I wanted to see your part-Grimm form for myself if I could. It's between semesters, and the students who wish to go home and are able to have done so, so there's less chance of someone seeing something they shouldn't."

Harry shot Ozpin a look. "Really?" he asked, rather flatly.

"Yes, I must share his apprehension," Goodwitch said. "That sounds appallingly dangerous."

"Dangerous, yes, though appallingly so…while Qrow only witnessed a brief period of your transformation, Harry, what he related does raise some interesting points. Grimm generally lack intelligence, save for those that survive long enough to gain it, but they lack sentience, a self-awareness beyond the bare basics. And yet, Harry, in defending himself against Remus Lupin when he was transformed, ensured that the injuries he inflicted were only enough to knock Lupin out. He also recognised allies, and could converse with them."

Harry shot Qrow a glare, before he turned back to Ozpin. "The thing is…I've only really done it twice now. Well, three times, really, but…it's…there've been times when I wanted to change…but didn't. Because I was afraid of what they'd think of me. That got even worse during my second year at Hogwarts. I found out I could talk to snakes, and everyone treated me like I was Voldemort's son and heir. The first time I did it…it was to save my friend Hermione from a troll. I was already in a foul mood because they were celebrating the death of my parents…well, not exactly, but that's what it felt like. Long story short, we stupidly went in to save Hermione from a troll, only for Ron to get knocked out with broken ribs into the bargain, Hermione about to get turned into jam, and…that's when I snapped. I tore the troll apart with my bare hands. Hermione saw the whole thing, and…well, I didn't really deserve her making up a cover story about accidental magic. I hadn't really stood up for her when Ron made some nasty remarks."

"And the other two times?" Qrow asked.

"The next time was when Snape threatened Remus," Harry said quietly. "I was still up in the air about Sirius, but Remus…I already knew he was a werewolf. That caused me to transform, Snape's threats, and when he threatened me…I acted. Given what he did later, I should have gutted the greasy-haired bastard. Then again, putting him through a wall broke an arm and several ribs. I reverted, but I was on edge the entire time, and when Remus transformed and Pettigrew escaped…well, that's when Qrow came on the scene, with Raven."

Ozpin nodded. "Interesting. So even while under the influence of this inner Grimm, you retain enough vestiges of yourself to restrain your attacks. I wonder…are you capable of transforming voluntarily?"

Harry was struck dumb by the question. He'd never even considered it. Because, frankly, he was terrified of losing control. In truth, despite transforming only a couple of times, he was afraid of it. He very nearly lost control while facing Quirrelmort…only for something else, the Silver Eyes apparently, to happen instead.

"Well, how about it, then?" Qrow asked in his drunken drawl. "You've got issues with me, we're in an arena…if you let the Grimm out of the bottle, I'll let you _try_ to give me a cathartic beating."

"You're one to talk about bottles. Even that walrus I was forced to call an uncle didn't drink that much," Harry snarked.

"Harry…" Ozpin said quietly. "Perhaps before we go any further, we should try unlocking your Aura. Yours does seem partially unlocked to a degree, probably due to either the Silver Eyes or your Grimm form. Or maybe that is what defines mages in your world, those with partially or fully-unlocked Aura."

"…Okay, go ahead," Harry said.

Ozpin walked over, and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry could feel something brush up against him, a power that seemed to be reaching into him gently. " _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality_ ," Ozpin intoned, " _through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee._ "

The surge of energy from within took Harry by surprise, and he staggered back from Ozpin when the ancient man released him. Ozpin himself was blinking in surprise. "My word…you certainly have a higher Aura than the norm, Harry. Not the greatest I have seen, but certainly stronger than most. Certainly more than someone not trained at an academy prior."

"I presume that's a good thing?" Harry asked.

"Mostly," Goodwitch said. "Large reserves of Aura are good for using it for defence. The longer your Aura reserves hold out, the longer you are protected from injury. Of course, it takes time for one to be able to use it as a shield instinctively. The larger your Aura reserves are, the longer or more frequently you can use your Semblance as well. Consider my own Semblance, Telekinesis. The larger my Aura reserves, the longer I can sustain my hold over objects, or the heavier the objects I can lift."

"Or take Yang," Qrow said. "Her Semblance is about taking damage and dishing it back out, so the more Aura she has, the better she's able to keep it up. Ruby could sustain her high speed for longer, or go faster."

"Of course, some Semblances aren't restricted to Aura reserves, only that you need a certain amount to use them in the first place," Ozpin said. "Your mother and your aunt, for example, only need enough Aura to teleport or create portals in the first place, but the distance travelled, to my knowledge, has little effect. Your uncle Hazel's Semblance allows him to block his pain receptors, and he used that to his advantage, directly implanting Dust crystals into his body to enhance his strength and imbue his attacks with elemental properties."

"Yeah, that was pretty painful to watch him do that," Qrow said with a wince. "He'd actually stab the crystals right into his arms. Ouch."

Harry winced at the thought. He was glad he didn't get a Semblance like that. Not being able to feel pain would have helped, admittedly. Then again, was the one he had any better?

"Yes, quite," Ozpin said, clearing his throat. "Some Semblances are passive, always present, like Qrow's misfortune Semblance. I have also heard of a student at Sanctum Academy who is able to absorb electrical energy and convert it into strength. But enough of that. I'd like to see your inner Grimm, as it were, in action."

"Sorry, are you senile or something?" Harry asked. As Goodwitch gasped in shock, and Qrow snickered, Harry added, "Look, you're centuries old, and I'm just saying…"

Ozpin laughed. "It's not the first time I have been accused of such things, and I doubt it'll be the last. But…" His expression dissolved into shock when Qrow, rolling his eyes, did a leg sweep, knocking Harry onto his arse. "Qrow!"

"Got bored. If you're gonna let the genie out of the bottle, I don't think you're gonna coax it out," Qrow said.

Harry felt the surge of darkness from within, a too familiar surge by this point. Buoyed by the anger he felt towards Qrow, he grinned, as he transformed, his magic causing his Scroll to start playing a piece of music, beginning with ominous organ music and distorted vocals.

 _Crazy Scary Holy Fantasy,_

 _Akumu no arisama wa (The kind of nightmare this will be)._

 _Do what? Do what? Do what you want to!_

 _Akui no souzou shidai (All depends on my wicked imagination)_ …

" _Be careful what you wish for, Sperm Donor_ ," he said, his voice warping and flanging. " _Because you might just get it!_ "

* * *

Ozpin couldn't help but take a couple of startled steps back. To hear about it from Qrow was one thing, but to see it in action was another. Harry's skin and hair paled, bone seemed to burst from one side of his face, forming a Grimm-like mask over that side. His posture, once he had leapt agilely back to his feet, was considerably more hunched and bestial. The exposed part of his face looked so much like Salem, if she was a teenaged boy, albeit with none of her serene cruelty, and more of an animalistic deranged glee.

But that was superficial compared to what Ozpin felt. Harry was now a beacon of negative emotion. It was like being close to a bonfire…no, a burning building. He didn't know how far this influence reached, and he could only hope that none of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest or immediately outside Vale were not affected. The last thing they needed to do was to get them excited, more aggressive, than they already were.

And yet, even as his senses were nearly overwhelmed by the darkness, Ozpin realised that there was more to the negative emotion. It wasn't pure darkness, just a darkness that had some light within. And what was more, he could still sense Harry's Aura. Grimm were utterly soulless, though Salem was an exception in many regards. Oh, there was still malice and darkness, but Harry was not exuding killing intent…though Ozpin wondered whether this was any better for Qrow.

 _It's like a game of Peek-a-Boo,_

 _Asobi ni mo tarinai! (That I'm still not tired of playing!)_

 _Nothing to do, just killing time,_

 _Yoka a mitasu satsui (Murderous intent filling each spare minute)_.

Qrow shrugged. "Okay, so, I'm gonna…" That was as far as he got, before Harry suddenly flickered and vanished, only for Qrow to fall down and smack his head on the floor when his tattered cape was sharply yanked.

" _Ooh, gravity, thou art a heartless bitch!_ " Harry howled with glee, letting go of Qrow's cape. " _Hey, let's polish the floor with a Qrow-feather duster!_ " He grabbed Qrow's leg, and began running around the arena, cackling. Qrow merely sent a Dust round from Harbinger into Harry's back, sending him sprawling. As Qrow got to his feet, Harry got to his feet, rubbing back. " _Okay, that_ _ **hurt**_ _. But do you use that to compensate for the size of your_ _ **COCK?!**_ "

 _Nakisakebi osoreoneki nigedashi (Until I cried aloud, trembled in fear and fled…)_

 _Hirefusu made wa yoteichouwa (Fell to my knees, everything was in pre-set harmony…)_

 _Akakusome ta te o furimidashi (As my red-stained hands flail through the air,)_

 _Nani o egakou ka_. ( _What image shall I depict?_ )

"Bite me," Qrow said, dodging around Harry as the two combatants closed the distance. Now that the element of surprise was lost, he was better able to keep up with Harry, even when he tried to use what seemed to be either teleportation, or bursts of extremely fast speed. Even the red spells that Harry shot at him were deflected with Harbinger.

Still, Harry was acquitting himself fairly well. Qrow was, admittedly, holding back somewhat: as much as Harry's inner Grimm gave him a boost in his strength, speed, and general ability, his fighting style was very simplistic and animalistic. While unpredictable, it was also messy, and left openings that Qrow could, and take, advantage of.

 _Calling, calling, you're calling me?_

 _Hello, hello, sekai ni gyakutsu o! (This world's asking for a massacre!)_

But soon, Harry seemed to tire of playing around, and lunged at Qrow, only for the seasoned hunter to redirect his charge, and send him speeding into a wall.

 _Crazy Scary Holy Fantasy,_

 _Akumu no arisama wa (The kind of nightmare this will be)._

 _Do what? Do what? Do what you want to!_

 _Akui no souzou shidai (All depends on my wicked imagination)!_

Harry tried to get up, only for him to sag to the ground. His features reverted to normal. Qrow shrugged, walking over. "Well, there you go. A good workout, really. You okay there, Harry?"

Suddenly, Harry looked up and pointed a hand at him, a red jet of light smacking into Qrow, and sending him skidding along the floor, dazed. Harry, shakily, got up. "Wanker," he muttered, panting heavily.

Goodwitch, who seemed to have recovered from her experience at being close to a human Grimm, remarked, "Young man, your language leaves a lot to be desired."

He looked at her flatly. "He provoked me into trying to attack him, and you're taking issue with my _language?_ Weren't you remotely worried I could have lost control?"

Ozpin said, "To some degree…and to be frank, Qrow's method of doing so was too dangerous, akin to drop-kicking an open box filled with Fire Dust. But…I noted a number of things. Sadly, Harry, that inner Grimm seems to be your Semblance. But…you still have an Aura while transformed. What was more, despite the rather wild nature of your attacks, I didn't sense that myself or Professor Goodwitch were in any substantial danger whatsoever."

Qrow got to his feet, staggering a little from a brain addled by both alcohol and whatever spell Harry hit him with. "I'll give him that much…one thing you do when you're in a fight to the death…you fight dirty," Qrow slurred. He then gave a shaky grin and an equally shaky thumbs-up. "Kudos."

"A bit late for any paternal pride," Harry snarked back. He then looked back over at Ozpin. "So…you're still willing to have me trained?"

"Of course," Ozpin said. "A better question is, Harry Potter…do you still want to be a Huntsman? Despite what your Semblance would mean. Despite the hatred it may draw. Despite the danger you will be in from Salem when she realises who and what you are. Despite all that, you wish to do this?"

Harry just met Ozpin's gaze with his own. The resolve in those emerald eyes, flecked with silver, was impressive. Harry was not the simple soul he knew would be needed at the front of the war against Salem. But he was important all the same. A flawed soul, tempered by testing fires, but determined to do good. To help. To save.

Magical Britain's loss was Remnant's gain, Ozpin felt. And maybe making sure Harry could fight against Salem and her forces without perishing could be some small atonement for Gretchen's death.

 _Hazel_ , he thought to himself. _If only you could see your nephew now. You'd be proud of him, even if he was working with me. Gretchen…do you approve of the path your child has started on?_

Silence was his only answer, as it always was when he spoke to the dead, like Gretchen was. But he hoped Gretchen Rainart would rest easy in the afterlife, should it exist, knowing her son was alive and well, and wanting to continue her work…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's shown off his skills, and had fully accepted his new path. The next few chapters will be vignettes of Harry's training, as well as others getting used to life on Remnant, before we finally get to RWBY canon proper.**

 **The lyrics, incidentally, are to** ** _Scary Crazy Holy Fantasy_** **by Myth & Roid, and comes from the end credits of the first ****_Overlord_** **compilation film. Obviously, I don't own the lyrics. As with** ** _Rise_** **, the non-English (here, Japanese romaji) lyrics are given, along with translations.**

 **Now, a few things. Firstly, Harry's attitude to Qrow. He's still admittedly a little POed at Qrow, somewhat unfairly, admittedly, but Qrow's not helping things with his attitude. As loving as Qrow can be to Ruby and Yang, he's not helpful at bridging a distance that has been there for all of Harry's life. And Qrow knows it. He's not really father material, and that whole knocking Harry onto his arse to provoke the inner Grimm to come forth isn't going to help (Qrow made that decision as a Huntsman and as Harry's future trainer). If anything, Harry's relationship with Qrow isn't going to be son and father for a while if at all: Taiyang's there for that.**

 **Secondly, trying to make sure Harry's Grimm form wasn't too OP. As tempting as it was for Harry's inner Grimm to curbstomp Qrow, that wouldn't work too well with the story. Qrow is a veteran Huntsman with over one and a half decades of experience under his belt. Harry may be able to surprise him initially, but Qrow can turn the tables. And Qrow is holding back, to avoid hurting his son.**

 **BTW, did you like the little oblique reference to Nora? I put her at Sanctum rather than Signal because, well, she and Ren come from Anima, so it's not unreasonable for her to have been taught there.**

 **Review-answering time! To those who inundated me with the definition of a Vizard or Visored or whatever it is…okay, please stop. Harry, as you will have guessed, will NOT be as powerful as a Vizard. He's faster and less inhibited as his inner Grimm, but he's not that much stronger. While he'd probably wipe the floor with Hunters about his age, against seasoned Hunters, he'd be defeated PDQ unless he didn't play around with them. And while he will get better at using it, he not only has a time limit to using his inner Grimm, but it's more of a desperation move, a Limit Break. It's actually not unlike Sora's Anti-Form from** ** _Kingdom Hearts II_** **. Plus, I should have mentioned this before, but Harry's inner Grimm was also partially inspired by a similar ability Jaune has in Coeur Al'Aran's** ** _White Sheep_** **. However, unlike that work, Harry cannot speak or control Grimm, or spawn them.**

 **Tenzo51** **: It'll be a spear-rifle like Pyrrha's weapon, but it can also function as a quarterstaff. It's being called the Gae Bolg, as I mentioned before that Harry's going to be modelled slightly on a certain Irish hero.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: I have not, but I did once write into one of my Naruto fanfics (I think it was my Potterverse crossover** ** _Sins of the Father_** **) that the Third Hokage was aware of possibly using Shadow Clones to do paperwork…but he doesn't do so. Why? Well, all the accumulated boredom the Shadow Clones feel could be potentially lethal to the user when the clones are dismissed. In short, he'd die of boredom (which is, allegedly, what happens to Kerensky in the recent novelisation of** ** _Doctor Who: City of Death_** **…though that's due to a time manipulation device being used to kill him).**

 **Remzal Von Enili** **: He can't feed on negativity, but as stated above, his inner Grimm acts as a beacon to Grimm within a certain radius. While that may seem like a bad thing, it also means that, in a pinch, he can 'pull aggro' away from his allies. So, if Team RWBY was having trouble against a really strong Grimm or a herd of them, he could use his Semblance and draw the Grimm away.**

 **Guest** **: I knew that about Ironwood, but I certainly did not know that about Zwei, though according to the RWBY Wiki, he's actually meant to be a reference to Ein the Corgi from** ** _Cowboy Bebop_** **. As in Ein, Zwei, German for One and Two. Get it? As for the Cowardly Lion, it's pretty blatant that Leonardo Lionheart is meant to be a reference. And you misread my answer. I said TASER, not a LASER. A taser is a stungun, an electric stungun.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	10. Chapter 9: Family and Friends

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **FAMILY AND FRIENDS**

 _Two years later_ …

Ruby grinned as she put the finishing touches on her latest version of Crescent Rose. It was a joke amongst the students of Signal that Ruby spent as much time in the weapons workshop as she did in the classroom. Some wags (her sister included) joked that she would marry her scythe-rifle if she could.

Anyway, it was brilliant to have it now. She had been, admittedly, pants at all that combat stuff until Uncle Qrow offered to teach her how to use a scythe, though she developed her own version of his style. And it was from that teaching and her style that she developed Crescent Rose, a combination of scythe and high-impact sniper rifle, the recoil being heavy enough to propel the weapon and herself at high speeds, complimenting her own Semblance.

Still, she felt a little lonely. She hadn't made many friends in Signal, though Velvet and Coco were probably her friends there. But Velvet and Coco were heading to Beacon soon: they had graduated from Signal (the party was last night), and Beacon's new semester would start shortly after the upcoming holidays. Now she'd only really have Yang, and Yang would be leaving for Beacon the year after that.

What was more, her cousin Harry had been absent for long periods. Training, mostly, with the latest being under General Ironwood of Atlas. She was sad that he wasn't on the best of terms with Uncle Qrow, though the two had sat her down (on separate occasions) and explained why. But Harry came to visit whenever he could, and Ruby loved him as much as she did Yang. In fact, she was delighted when he told her a secret, one that apparently Professor Ozpin himself had told him. About their eyes.

Ruby, once she had the dangers of exposing the Silver Eyes explained to her, did keep it to herself. And she wondered whether there were ways to activate them other than trauma. Still…it'd be totally badass to just look at a Grimm and kill it…though using Crescent Rose was more fun.

Ruby also learned of Harry's Semblance, and she understood why he needed to keep it secret. But, well, she wasn't afraid. One time, she actually faced off against him…and it was fun. It was almost like playing with Zwei, only weapons were involved. And she knew, with the utter conviction and faith of the young, that he would never hurt him deliberately.

Uncle Lupin and Hermione, along with her parents, had moved, for the time being, to Menagerie, Lupin acting as Ozpin's ambassador to the Faunus there. Apparently Hermione had already made friends with a rather nice Faunus called Ilia Amitola. Ruby missed Hermione, as she was willing to teach her a lot of things about their world. Apparently they learned recently that she was not a werewolf (like a human Beowolf), though she had gained a taste for rare steaks and was aggressive when the moon was relatively full. Lupin had to be kept confined, with the help of a special medicine.

Ruby was just finishing things up when the door opened, and she heard a familiar, and very welcome voice. "…Not going to give you any dirt on Rusty or the Ice Queen. They may be hardarses, but…yeah, okay. I'll see you later. I'm seeing Ruby first. Apparently someone spiked the punch at the graduation, and Velvet's still feeling a bit delicate. And no, I'm not having her drink that damned hangover cure you gave me when you managed to get me drunk! I can still taste the raw egg and the tabasco. Fine. See you at home. Bye." Harry finally deactivated his Scroll, and looked at Ruby. "Hey, Ruby. Sorry about that, Qrow was bugging me about what things were like in Atlas."

"It's great to see you again, Harry," Ruby said, taking Crescent Rose, and giving her cousin (well, he felt more like an older brother) a hug. "How was Atlas?"

"Cold as hell. Makes Britain look tropical," Harry said. "Most of the people aren't much better. General Ironwood and his offsider Winter Schnee act like they have a stick somewhere very inconvenient…though they're not too bad once you get used to them. Actually, Winter's little sister Weiss may be going to Beacon at the same time as Yang. Winter's an absolute consummate professional. Qrow's right, she can stand to loosen up, but she judges me on my own merits. So did Ironwood. Plus, Ozpin trusts them. Oh, that reminds me. One of Ironwood's researchers has a daughter who's been kept a little isolated. She's about your age. She's a bit strange, but…well, I persuaded Ironwood to let her talk to you via Scroll message."

"Oh? Is she nice?" Ruby asked.

"Very nice, very friendly. A bit strange, but that's just her. Her name's Penny Polendina. Just don't be surprised if she can't tell you things about what she and her father are doing. Her father's doing a lot of hush-hush stuff for Ironwood."

"Okay!" Ruby chirped. While she didn't have many friends per se, Ruby didn't mind making new ones if they were nice…and didn't mind her geeking out over their weapons. Velvet and Coco were nice enough, even if Coco seemed a little critical of Ruby's clothing, calling it not quite 'haute couture', which Velvet translated as high fashion. Still, Coco's handbag minigun was pretty cool, and so was Velvet's camera thing.

She knew that Harry and Velvet were also pretty much boyfriend and girlfriend. They had gone on a few dates, albeit after Coco had had him fight her in a spar, apparently as a test of his intentions. Ruby had watched the spar, with Harry wielding a long spear-rifle combination (apparently inspired by Pyrrha Nikos' own, though the spear was more like a trident with seven points…making it more of a heptadent), which he called the Gae Bolg(1). He actually used it not just as a spear or a rifle, but also as a staff.

As she walked with Harry out of the workshop, Ruby asked, "You sounded nicer to Uncle Qrow earlier."

Harry sighed. "Yeah. We sort of buried the hatchet. I'm still not sure I can see him as my father. To be honest, I'd prefer to call Taiyang Dad. Padfoot's a bit miffed about that too."

Uncle Padfoot, as Ruby had the habit of calling him now, had become part of the family now. He got along better with Qrow, and was already being trained to become a Hunter as well. While Harry got along with Padfoot better than Qrow, Padfoot seemed a little disappointed that they weren't closer, like a father. Sirius Black had been, after all, made Harry's godfather.

Maybe it was because of knowing that the Potters weren't Harry's real parents, and yet Padfoot wanted Harry to be more like his adoptive father, James Potter. At least Qrow didn't try to make Harry like him.

"So, still working on Crescent Rose?" Harry asked.

"Yep. Finally got those parts I wanted. I'll let Velvet take a snap of it once I'm sure it works, but I've got a feeling in my gut about this one."

"As long as it doesn't bend like that one did," Harry said. "Dunno what Qrow was thinking, teaching you that style. Still, it looks awesome."

"Yeah. I just wish I could go to Beacon earlier," Ruby said. "I'm so jealous of Yang, going there after her next year."

"You'll get your turn, Ruby. Besides, plenty of Grimm here on Patch to slice and dice," Harry said with a chuckle. "We'll spar later. I want to say hi to Velvet…"

* * *

After he left Ruby for her to get ready to head back home, Harry walked along the corridors of Signal. He knew now he would never go back to Earth. While Earth didn't have problems like the Grimm, the White Fang, or Salem, here, he had family. True, the Tonks family were better guardians than the Dursleys, and they treated him well enough, but here, it felt like family. Taiyang felt like a father (something that annoyed Qrow, his actual father), and Ruby and Yang like sisters. He felt at ease here that he never quite felt on Earth, even with the Grimm, and what Salem did to him. Hell, he was starting to get a handle on his inner Grimm form.

Still, getting stronger for the time when he would inevitably face Salem and her minions was hard. Hell, training for a time under Qrow before he went back to teaching at Signal was hard enough, but the time he just spent at Atlas? Ironwood and Winter Schnee were hard taskmasters. Though at least they were decent people for military types. Harry even got to meet Winter's younger sister, and while that nearly went badly, as Weiss reminded him a little too much of Draco Malfoy for his liking, he actually managed to make decent conversation with her regarding Dust. He also corrected her when she made some remarks about Faunus, when he pointed out that he had one as a girlfriend. Winter had rebuked Weiss, and explained to Harry that part of the problem was the White Fang targeting their relatives. Weiss, he felt, had potential, if she could get over her prejudice and her sense of entitlement. Hopefully, Winter would help.

Another he had met in Atlas, quite by accident, was Penny Polendina. She had been running from her handlers when she, quite literally, ran into him. Eccentric as anything, Harry nonetheless grew to like her. Eventually, she confessed that she was a gynoid, the first of her kind, capable of generating an Aura, meaning that she had a soul. She had expressed curiosity about Harry's family, especially Ruby, and Harry had managed to wrangle permission for Penny and Ruby to exchange Scroll addresses from Ironwood. The general of the Atlesian Military may have been a hardarse, but he didn't lack a heart, despite Qrow's frequent accusations. Penny may have been initially created as a weapon, but Ironwood viewed her and treated her like a person. Plus, the gynoid wanted to make friends. He chuckled to himself at the thought of Ruby getting called up by Penny, to be greeted by her habitual greeting of " _SAL-U-TATIONS!_ "

Shortly before embarking to Atlas, he had a rare visit from Raven. For all her aloofness and unwillingness to get involved with her family, his aunt did visit occasionally, mostly to see Harry and Yang, albeit only for brief visits of maybe half an hour. The first time it happened, Harry was not happy. But while his relationship was nowhere near as good as it was with Qrow (and even that was not the best it could be), he'd come to a détente with his aunt, who seemed disappointed that Harry had opted to work for Ozpin, but had accepted it. She also made an effort to reach out to Yang, or at least speak with her, and their relationship, while not ideal, was at least cordial.

In any case, he was going to see someone he missed for quite a while when he was at Atlas. He went up to the dorm room, and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, it was answered by an uncharacteristically dishevelled Coco Adel, the usually snazzy dresser looking the worse for wear, her eyes peering at him from behind her sunglasses. "Morning," she muttered.

"It's afternoon…well, just after noon," Harry said. Quietly, mind: she looked like she had a bad hangover, and while he wasn't Coco's friend, she was Velvet's. "Bad night?"

"If I find out who spiked the punch, I am going to end the very concept of their existence," the dark-haired girl muttered. "I woke up next to a traffic cone."

"I'm told by my godfather that it's not a good night unless you get a traffic cone," Harry said with a shrug(2). "Be thankful it wasn't with a strange boy. Is Velvet feeling any better? She sounded a bit…"

"She's finished worshipping the porcelain shrine for now," Coco said as she let him in, used to his presence by now. He took in the state of their dorm, and winced at the mess. Coco would normally never let such things happen to her decorations, and there were the telltale signs of blast marks from Dust. "Yeah, I know," she said, noticing his look.

Lying on the bed, looking a little bleary-eyed, was Velvet. Harry was by her side very quickly. "Hey, Velvet. You okay?"

"Not at all. Ugh, if that's what the morning after drinking is like, then I'm not doing it ever again," Velvet groaned. "I wished I was dead."

"You think that was bad?" Harry asked. "Qrow once took me for a pub crawl while training me on a trip near Mistral. Keep in mind, I'd only just turned 15. I woke up clutching a plush Nevermore toy that had Gae Bolg run through it, and a half-empty jar of sap from Forever Fall. How the hell I got that all the way out in Anima, I've no idea. The cure Qrow had me drink was almost as bad."

"Prairie oyster?" Coco asked.

"Prairie oyster," Harry confirmed, and Coco grimaced in disgust.

Velvet sat up on her bed, and Harry sat down next to her. "Maybe carrot juice might be better," Harry remarked. He was one of the few people Velvet would allow to make rabbit jokes about her.

Velvet smiled, albeit somewhat wanly. "I don't think I could keep it down. Don't you have an anti-hangover spell or something?"

He'd told Velvet and Coco about his magic not long before heading to Atlas, though he only told Velvet about his Semblance. "Nah. Sirius mentioned hangover cures, but he said they taste like cowpats smell."

"Shame, I could do with one," Coco said, rubbing her head. "Water and paracetamol only does so much."

"Nothing major happen while I was gone?" Harry asked, looking at Velvet.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, unless you count Serin(3) Winchester's son coming in next year," Coco scoffed. "Apparently he's doing a year here after being trained at home, before heading to Beacon."

Harry scowled. Serin Winchester was one of the top businessmen in Vale, and noted for his rather venomous anti-Faunus sentiments. Anti-Faunus sentiments were too-common anyway, but Serin was worse than the norm. He was rumoured to be the head of the local Jaeger chapter, though nothing could be proven. And Serin had a seat on the Vale Council. No doubt his son, Cardin, was a chip off the old block.

"Great, another racist idiot," Harry muttered. "At least Jacques Schnee's daughters weren't as bad as Serin."

"You met them?" Velvet asked.

"Yeah. Winter's a stone-cold professional, but she doesn't have time for anything like racism. As long as you weren't a member of the White Fang, she wouldn't care. Weiss is another matter, but given that the White Fang targeted her family, well…I think she just needs to learn more about the real world. She apologised when I told her I was seeing you, so I think there's hope."

"Oh," Velvet said, blushing a little. Then, after a pause, she asked, "So, how long are you staying for?"

"A couple of months, at least," Harry said. "I think Ozpin wants to wait for me to meet someone. Long enough to see you go into Beacon at least. Besides, it's my birthday soon, and I want to spend it with family and friends. And isn't it your birthday shortly after that?"

Velvet smiled at her boyfriend. His first (and to date, only) birthday present to her was a hard-to-find biography and portfolio of the famous photojournalist and her personal idol, Jaune Cura(4), a Faunus who had covered many events of both the Great War and the Faunus War shortly thereafter. Apparently Tukson bought it the day before Harry bought it from Tukson, and just as well: it was a collector's item coffee table book that was sought-after. It had, for example, pictures of the aftermath of the riots that sparked the war, a picture of Arthur Arc(5) wielding Crocea Mors against a Grimm set upon him by the enemy, the famous picture of the Vytal peace treaty, and General Lagune flanked by a pair of Faunus guards after the disastrous Battle of Fort Castle.

"Actually, I have some thoughts on that, Harry, and I'd like to talk to you about that," Coco said. She then flinched in pain. "Preferably at a later date."

"When you don't actually _need_ to wear your sunglasses indoors?" Harry asked wryly. Coco just scowled at him, while Velvet giggled softly. He once made a joke about Coco's beret being a brain-eating parasite, one of many snarks he made about her fashion sense.

Still, he had a decent relationship with the fashionista. Though not as strong as his relationship with Velvet. There was something about the girl, a gentle, timid soul who nonetheless had a core of steel, that drew him to her. Then again, she was pretty much his first friend in this world, not counting his family. And he felt protective towards her. Not that she couldn't protect herself when she put her mind to it, but still…she accepted his magic and his inner Grimm with ease, the former more than the latter. She gained more self-confidence being around him, along with others like Coco, Yang, Ruby and, before she left for Menagerie, Hermione.

And in her, Harry gained a confidante, one who wasn't prejudiced by his reputation as the Boy Who Lived. Not that Hermione, or Ron, or some others weren't once they got used to him…but it was nice to have a friend that knew him for being Harry from the get-go. Plus, parents murdered by terrorists? Orphaned at a young age? Having people mostly unable to look past one thing (her ears in Velvet's case, and Harry's fame in his own)? Yeah, they've both been there.

"Do you want to take a trip to Vale tomorrow? Once you're feeling better?" Harry asked.

Velvet nodded. "I'd like that very much, thanks…"

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, a timeskip, to about just over a year before the events of** ** _RWBY_** **. We'll have more Harry/Velvet soon. Plus, do we have a hint of future Nuts and Dolts?**

 **Review-answering time! For all of those wanting me to implement more of Cu Chulainn into Harry…STOP IT. I am the author here, and Harry is going to be a reference to Cu Chulainn, not his second coming. It's like with how the** ** _RWBY_** **characters are frequently references to myths and stories, but aren't actually like them. Harry will have precisely three things in common with Cu Chulainn: the spear, the warp-spasm, and an avoidance of dog meat.**

 **NoMercyofDeath** **: Thanks. It's a pretty dark song, but it fits the chaotic, animalistic nature of Harry's inner Grimm, I thought.**

 **Remzal Von Enili** **: The appearance of Harry's inner Grimm will remain the same, though the power of that form will increase over time.**

 **aliestrikehero** **: Yes to the first, no to the second. Unlike the admittedly awesome Gae Bolg from** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **, we're not going to have all that.**

 **Gabriel Herrol** **: I think Harry, after everything that has happened, has no time for familiarity. As for what age they're considered adults, I'm going with the standard of 18, given that while Yang walks into Junior's club and asks for a Strawberry Sunrise, Junior promptly remarks that she is a bit young to be there.**

 **coduss** **: If Harry dies, the inner Grimm dies with him. If he snaps, though, he will go berserker, though he will retain an ability to tell friend from foe.**

 **Duke Somerset** **: He won't be until closer to the canon events of** ** _RWBY_** **.**

 **Leicontis** **: It's basically a two-handed version of Pyrrha's weapon, with the rifle part in the back. If you pay attention to the scene where Pyrrha pins Jaune to the tree in the Emerald Forest in** ** _The First Step Part 2_** **, you'll see that the rear of the spear is actually the barrel of the rifle, and it fires to gain a boost in speed when she throws it.**

 **And you do overthink things. ;)**

 **hakon2feb** **: Exactly. And a troll may have tough skin, but it doesn't have Aura. Harry, even in that inner Grimm form, only wanted to beat the crap out of Qrow, not tear him apart. As for Hazel's reaction, the next chapter has Salem discussing the newcomers from Earth, with a surprising source of information. If you've read EmeraldGuardian7's** ** _The Wizard's Apprentice_** **, you may be able to guess who that source is, and yes, I have permission from EmeraldGuardian7, which I will go into in greater detail in the next chapter when I post it. Anyway, Hazel will put the pieces together that Harry is his nephew in the next chapter, but he won't know about Salem's involvement in Gretchen's kidnapping for a while. He will want to try and woo Harry over to Salem's side. As noted above, Ozpin trusts Qrow and Ironwood enough to have them train Harry.**

 **1\. It took a while for me to decide what Harry's weapon would be. A trident was my first choice, having done it for the original, unpublished version of** ** _Under the Light of the Shattered Moon_** **, but I eventually decided on other weapons for that work, and as Neptune has a trident, I was wondering what to do. I decided on a spear, like Pyrrha Nikos', and based it on the Gae Bolg used by Cu Chulainn (and yes, I know I haven't used the accents on the names: I get tired of typing those correctly, so for this fic, they're not). This is actually kind of appropriate: Harry's inner Grimm transformation is not unlike Cu Chulainn's infamous 'warp spasm'.**

 **2\. A reference to the** ** _Red Dwarf_** **episode** ** _The Last Day_** **.**

 **3\. I chose the name of Cardin's father after a LOT of research, with a 'serin' being a French term for a canary. Not only does it continue the bird theme of Cardin and his team, but given a canary's yellow colouration, it hints to Serin's cowardly ways beneath his bullying.**

 **4\. Why not re-use the name 'Jaune'? The name itself is a reference to photographer John Cura, who had been retained by the BBC and ITV in the 50s and 60s to photograph TV shows being transmitted as a very crude form of screenshots known as 'telesnaps'. In the days before home video, this was a means of actors and production personnel to show off their work. These telesnaps are actually frequently the only visual record remaining of many TV shows otherwise lost: many missing episodes of** ** _Doctor Who_** **have telesnaps.**

 **5\. Why Arthur? Well, there is the obvious link to King Arthur…and considering that Jaune is sometimes made a relative of Arturia Pendragon in crossovers with the Nasuverse, there was something appealing. Especially as Jaune is named for Joan of Arc, whom Arturia was mistaken for in** ** _Fate/Zero_** **by Gilles de Rais.**


	11. Chapter 10: Delightful Date and Dark

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **DELIGHTFUL DATE AND DARK DEEDS**

As they took the airship from Patch to Vale the next day, Velvet put her hand over Harry's. "So, anything interesting happen at Atlas?"

"Depends on what you find interesting. Training under General Ironwood is hard, though he's better than most people think. Still a hardarse, but he actually cares about people in the end," Harry said. "Actually, I made a new friend there, and I've given her Scroll address to Ruby." On seeing Velvet's look, he said, "It's not like that. She's a bit of an innocent abroad, I wouldn't take advantage of her, let alone hurt your feelings. If I did that, you'd be at the head of a very long line to kick my arse."

Velvet smiled. "I know you wouldn't. So, where's Ruby and Yang?"

"Gone on ahead. Yang knows I want to make this a date, so she's playing babysitter. I was thinking a movie."

"Not that Spruce Willis one," Velvet said. "I'd like to see _From Shadows_."

"That dramatization of the Battle of Fort Castle?" Harry asked. "I heard the song they're using in the soundtrack on the radio. Okay, why not?" At least it wasn't a romcom. Okay, it had romance, it was about a Faunus and a human on opposing sides of the conflict falling in love, with the Battle of Fort Castle as background, but still…

"Looking forward to Beacon?" Harry asked.

"A little. But there's people from across Remnant who come to Beacon, and not all of them like Faunus. And I heard there's a dangerous initiation each student has to go through."

"You'll be fine, Velvet. Remember that film Hermione's parents brought back from Earth? You're the rabbit."

"I am NOT chewing through anyone's neck," the rabbit-eared Faunus declared with a shudder. Watching _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ had been a mixed experience for her, and the Vorpal Bunny hadn't exactly endeared her to it, though Harry liked to joke, whenever she wasn't feeling confident, that she was the Vorpal Rabbit. She didn't mind _Life of Brian_ , though.

"Anyway," Harry said, stifling his laughter, "knowing Ozpin, it'll take place in the Emerald Forest. The details are different each year. Just make sure you stock up on weapon photos first. Ruby'll let you have one of her latest version of Crescent Rose, and if you need to snap the Gae Bolg again, just ask. And I know Yang doesn't mind you snapping Ember Celica."

"She just says I've got to look good using them," Velvet said, with a smile.

"Velvet, you'd look good using virtually any weapon…"

* * *

Salem peered at the reports on the Scroll she was holding. For all that she preferred to use her Seer Grimm to communicate over long distances, she had to admit that technology was useful. Dr Watts, for all his unnecessary condescension towards anyone he deemed inferior (thankfully, he acted with all due deference to her, though he viewed her with an unhealthy interest given her Grimm nature, just like his mentor, Dr Merlot), was a brilliant scientist and innovator when it came to technology, and she would not have thought of cyberwarfare, to her shame and not inconsiderable annoyance. Communications and the computer networks carried by the CCT may work to, theoretically, bring humanity closer together, but in truth, by relying on it, they had become indolent and weak.

She had amused herself for a time, trolling on chatrooms and BBSes. For all that she was an ancient evil entity that had forsaken much of her humanity, there was more of humanity left in her than she would like, and entertaining herself with petty provocation online actually did much to alleviate her boredom. She was, after all, centuries old, and one thing about being an immortal embodiment of darkness was that one tended to lose one's friends over time, and while Grimm made good pets, she missed human company (and she preferred quality over quantity: for quantity, she could just spawn more Grimm). It was why, on occasion, she contacted Ozpin by sending one of her Seers to Beacon, and made portentous remarks about the past, and how there would be no victory in strength(1).

"So, this is all you've been able to dig up on Ozpin's latest pawns," she murmured, more to herself than anything else.

However, she had an audience, and Dr Watts, he of the sartorial splendour and the overly-groomed moustache, nodded. "Finding information on them was hard, my lady. That in itself speaks of their importance. Ozpin wouldn't be exercising considerable information control unless they were in some way. Even Professor Lionheart seems to not have been kept in the loop. You know I am not particularly fond of failure, least of all in myself, and I take full responsibility for this." It was unusual for the arrogant man to say such a thing, given how much he delighted in putting others down.

"Well, as it happens," Salem said, putting the Scroll down, "we have a novel source of information on them. And from our newest member, no less."

She actually enjoyed the look of shock on their faces. Well, Watts was actually gaping, while Hazel was blinking in bemusement, the burly, bearded man, while stoic, showing surprise in his eyes. Tyrian, bless his psychopathic little heart, also gaped, only to burst out into hysterical giggles. The dark-haired scorpion Faunus turned his golden eyes to their newest inductee, who remained silent…but an unmistakeable look of pride and even a little smug triumph glittered in her eyes. "Oh, what a marvellous twist in this performance of Grand Guignol!" he cackled.

Hazel was the first to grasp what Salem meant. "Do you mean to say that these people are from Earth?" he asked.

"More dimension travellers?" Watts added his own question.

"Of a sort. I kept the possibility in mind, given that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are not names that follow the Colour Naming tradition, though ignoring that style of naming is rare rather than non-existent," Salem said. "In addition, Sirius Black has no apparent relation to Marcus Black, the infamous assassin, based on his physiognomy. Remus Lupin may be a possibility, given that lupin is a type of flower."

"Then please enlighten us, my lady, as to how our newest member banished your ignorance," Watts said.

Salem nodded. "As you know, I am preparing her to become our weapon, a receptacle for the power of the Maidens. Suborning them worked in the past, but Ozpin has set up checks and balances against that. While she was recovering from the latest session designed to allow for the implantation of the Grimm symbiote, I idly mentioned my frustration with finding out information about these people, and mentioned their names. Imagine my surprise when Cinder actually knew the people involved…or at least three of them."

All eyes returned to the young woman who renamed herself Cinder. Pale of skin, gold of eye, her lustrous dark hair partially covering one side of her face, dressed in a slinky red dress. "May I explain, my lady?" Cinder asked.

"You may," Salem said.

Cinder nodded, and then looked at the others. "My birthname is not Cinder, obviously. I was born Cygni Lyra Black(2). While Mistress Salem has told you of my coming from another world, she has not spoken of the circumstances by which I came here. Magic is more prevalent in that world, but we hide from the non-magical, whom we called Muggles. I was, however, born without magic to magical parents, and thus called a Squib. Amongst Purebloods, to have a Squib child was a mark of shame, and my family felt this even more so. They promptly enslaved me to act as their servant."

"Her name, you see, comes from a fairy tale of Earth," Salem explained. "Cinder chose to modify the name of the main character, one Cinderella, a child forced to act as a servant for her step-family. Even those glass shoes of hers are a reference to the story. Given the tendencies of the Purebloods towards inbreeding, it should not be surprising that something like this happened. Please go on, Cinder."

"Eventually, I rebelled, and tried to repair a Vanishing Cabinet in my family's possession. I only succeeded in sending myself here, where I met Mistress Salem," Cinder said. "I knew of Sirius Black, as he was a member of my family. He supposedly betrayed our family in becoming friends with the likes of the Potter family, only to apparently betray the Potters during the climax of the war against Voldemort. Remus Lupin was a friend of both Sirius and James Potter. If he is with Sirius and Harry, it seems that the claims of Sirius betraying the Potters were exaggerated at best."

"What of the boy?" Watts asked, curious, despite his general disdain for Cinder. "How can you know a boy younger than you so well, and not the girl?"

"The girl is probably a witch born to those without magic, a Muggleborn or Mudblood as we'd say back home," Cinder said. "However, Harry Potter was famous, simply because he survived when his parents did not when Voldemort attacked. Supposedly, Voldemort used the Killing Curse against Harry, and Harry survived. You must understand, to survive being struck by the Killing Curse is unheard of. It blasts the soul from the body, even with a glancing hit, and the only way to avoid death is to either evade it or to have something solid between you and the curse. I personally felt sceptical about this. Either the rumours were exaggerated, or someone, probably Harry's mother, found a novel ritual to save Harry somehow. Lily Potter was more of the brains of the family, by all accounts. In any case, the fools of Magical Britain called Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived, held him up to be a messiah. And it seems to be him. In the photos obtained, he has a distinctive scar, like a lightning bolt, on his forehead. Rumours spread of him bearing that mark."

"The upshot is," Salem said, "is that we now have a number of mages, four at least assuming that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have magical ability, present on Remnant."

"A question, my lady," Hazel said. "Will they be able to have their power drained in the same way as the Maidens?"

"While it is possible, I have spoken with Cinder at length about the nature of magic in her world. The magic of Earth is not as powerful as the power of the Maidens, not unless the mage in question are themselves powerful and experienced, and it is somewhat different to many degrees. Unlike the power of a Maiden, the power of their magic is closer in nature to an innate Semblance, and access to it is controlled more by genetics than other factors. The Maidens' powers, though, are transmissible, in order for them to choose successors. The symbiote only targets the Maidens' powers anyway, not Aura or Semblances, though as magic is tied very close to Aura, Maiden or mage…"

"I see," Hazel said, nodding.

"It may be possible for Cinder to use the magic of her world once she has a Maiden's power," Salem said. "What it lacks in offensive power in some regards, it makes up for in versatility. In any case, the presence of mages from Earth is a cause of minor concern."

"Do you want me to take care of them, Your Grace?" Tyrian asked, grinning madly, as was his wont to do. "Shall I bring them to you wrapped in a little bow? Shall I sting them and let them writhe in mortal agony for their impudence?"

"No, not for now, Tyrian," Salem said. As strong as his devotion to her was, he was also very much a blunt instrument, lacking subtlety. He could stay covert well enough, but at this point, she couldn't risk him going into territory scrutinised by Ozpin and his peons. "I need you to keep crossing names off the list Leonardo helpfully gave us. Doctor Watts, Hazel, I would ask that you continue information gathering about these people along with your assigned tasks. While they are not so problematic as to require liquidation yet, they are still partially unknown quantities that need to be factored into our plans."

"My lady, I would like to pick Cinder's brains regarding the magic of Earth," Watts said. "It sounds fascinating, and of course, there is the tactical importance of knowing what spells and techniques they can use."

"I have spoken with her at length before calling you here. I can answer the questions, and redirect you to her for any information I do not know." Salem then noticed Hazel peering at his own Scroll, frowning. "Hazel? Do you have anything to add?"

"No," Hazel said. Which wasn't unusual for him. He tended to keep his thoughts to himself unless he thought they needed to be relayed. Still, the pensive look on his face, while not unusual, was mildly concerning, though Salem didn't know why…

* * *

The movie was enjoyable. True, the romance seemed a little crowbarred in, and a couple of the actors seemed to be phoning it in, but it was an enjoyable experience. And as predicted, the soundtrack was one of the best elements of it.

As he walked out of the cinema, hand-in-hand with Velvet, Harry remarked, "How much of that really happened?"

"Umm, history's not my best subject," Velvet admitted. "But it was based on a novel, and the author admitted that the romance was made up. Though there were some mixed human-Faunus couples involved in the Battle of Fort Castle." She chuckled softly. "Though fighting Faunus at night…almost all of us have great night vision compared to humans, and heightened senses in general. I know enough about history to know that Lagune was an idiot. Like the film, he was promoted because of his connections and rich family."

"Well, I knew some guys like that back home," Harry remarked, thinking about the Malfoys. "Still…you'd think they'd give you more than a pissy island that's mostly desert."

"Maybe, but what the White Fang is doing isn't going to help matters. Maybe Ghira Belladonna didn't do that much, but all the violence that they've done since Sienna Khan took over's only served to have people attack me."

Harry squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Velvet. You've got friends who give a damn about you."

Still, thinking about the White Fang had him thinking about Hazel, his uncle. Not because he was associated with the White Fang. But like many well-meaning Faunus used to be (and maybe some still were) associated with the White Fang, Hazel, once a good man, was intent on revenge against Ozpin. What would it mean if he ever met Hazel again?

* * *

Hazel, as he made his way to his quarters, preparing to leave Salem's palace later, found himself troubled. He frequently was, and had been since his sister's death. Ozpin may not have necessarily killed her himself, but he pretty much did the next best thing.

But something marginally related was troubling him. He thought back to the images of Harry Potter that they had been given. Hazel only consciously realised it during the meeting, but the boy looked somewhat like Qrow Branwen. The messy dark hair and the shape of the eyes were not dissimilar. But more disturbing was the familiarity of the features, to that of his sister, Gretchen.

True, his sister had a more tanned skintone, and hazel eyes, like him. But the shape of the face, particularly around the nose, reminded him painfully of Gretchen. And she also needed glasses herself. His build was also very like Gretchen's: even after training, she was rather short and lanky.

The thing was, Hazel was also aware, albeit dimly, that Qrow and Gretchen were in a relationship before her disappearance. In fact, it was one of the reasons he didn't have the sheer amount of rancour towards Qrow as he did towards Ozpin. Oh, he was livid to hear Qrow was sleeping with his sister, but Qrow would have worked to keep Gretchen alive if he had been able to.

The birthdate given in the files Watts did manage to hack from Beacon (the barest of vital statistics) also corresponded with a possible conception date, within weeks of Gretchen's capture. All of which possibly meant that Gretchen had survived long enough to give birth to Harry. But did that mean that Ozpin had left her for dead, not even intending to rescue her? Or had something else happened?

For the first time in years, Hazel's conviction, born from his anger and fury and hatred, wavered. It was a ridiculous supposition, one supported only by flimsy evidence and a gut feeling, but if he was correct, his nephew was working under Ozpin…and would become another victim to lay at Ozpin's door. If this was his nephew, he needed to get him away from Ozpin, as soon as possible.

The question was, how?

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Velvet have gone on a date, Cinder has revealed a surprising secret, and Hazel's beginning to put two and two together. Next chapter, Harry is summoned by Ozpin to meet someone very special…**

 **Now, before I go on, I should clarify something. A number of my readers will notice similarities between Cinder's backstory here, and her backstory in EmeraldGuardian7's** ** _The Wizard's Apprentice_** **. This is, surprisingly, a coincidence (as mentioned in the previous chapter in one of my review answers). EmeraldGuardian7 and I both came up with these backstories of Cinder being a Squib with connections to the Black family independently, and EmeraldGuardian7 managed to publish their version first. I have asked EmeraldGuardian7 whether I could do the same thing, as a courtesy, and they agreed. The backstories we wrote are dissimilar enough, though.**

 **The Salem scene sort of wrote itself, so there's less emphasis on the date, but that was a blessing in disguise. I actually thought it interesting to write Salem, given how she is characterised in** ** _RWBY_** **. The canon Salem has an odd respect for the better qualities of humanity, and I thought I would expand on that. Monolithic villains get boring after a while, and I actually enjoyed, for example, Salem admitting to herself that she's annoyed she never thought of cyberwarfare as a valid strategy.**

 **I also added a bit about Velvet not being so good with history to address a minor plot hole in the canon series. If she is a second year student, why is she attending Oobleck's first year history class?**

 **Review-answering time!** **Lord Corruption** **: Huh, I didn't know that, and Julius Caesar is, admittedly, the Roman emperor I know most about.**

 **comodo50** **: He's more in touch with it, so it's less of a berserker form, but he's still prey to his more animalistic tendencies.**

 **Narutofan8762** **: I just had a quick look-see on the wiki, and the infection is transmitted by saliva. Hermione was bitten through her clothing, so while it broke the skin, it didn't necessarily infect her, enough to turn her into a werewolf.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: Oh God no. Though I'm sure if someone hasn't done a fic along those lines already, someone will eventually. Hell, I know of at least two fics were Arturia is Jaune's mother…and one of those has Gilgamesh as the father. No, really. Still, Nero as Jaune's mother? That would be so scary and so awesome and so hilarious.**

 **The-Black-Baron-1943** **: I'd say what you said was wholly unintentional, but in fact, one of the (admittedly smaller) inspirations for the personality of Harry's inner Grimm was actually Hyde's personality from** ** _Jekyll_** **. You know, the Steven Moffat-written and produced TV series starring James Nesbitt. The name had little to do with it, just the popcultural osmosis.**

 **1\. A reference to Salem's opening speech in the very first episode. I have to wonder why it seems that Ozpin and Salem are having a conversation, and I'd like to think that, at times, they just call each other up and, well, talk. They're both immortal, they probably have more to talk about with each other than with younger people.**

 **2\. Choosing Cinder's Potterverse name was a bit difficult, and as a Black, she also needed to be named for a constellation or star. I nearly went with Hydra Delphini Lestrange, which I used for Frederica Sawyer from** ** _Black Lagoon_** **for my crossover** ** _Disquiet_** **, but I eventually went for something that evoked Cinder's grace (Cygni is a feminine Greek word for swan), and her darkness (a black swan, as it were).**


	12. Chapter 11: Of the Maidens

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **OF THE MAIDENS**

Ozpin smiled as he flicked through the files on his personal Scroll, walking alongside Harry through the grounds of Beacon. "James was pleased with your progress," Ozpin said.

"Really?" Harry asked. "He was pretty sparing with the praise."

"True, but James does have a somewhat reserved nature when it comes to praise and compliments," Ozpin said. "He also wished to thank you for befriending Miss Polendina, as apparently she was not that good at making friends. In truth, I'm glad also. While James has not told me of Miss Polendina's true nature, it's not hard to guess, given that her father is one of the leading authorities on Aura generation, robotics and cybernetics in the world. And it warms my heart to see James treating her as more than a machine or a weapon."

"You probably have other sources for that anyway," Harry said. "So, why am I here?"

"Well, aside from catching up in person, I told you I wanted you to meet someone special. When he isn't doing specific investigations for me, Qrow sometimes escorts this person. Not that she needs it, normally, but better to be safe than sorry."

"She?" Harry asked. He already had a good idea of whom Ozpin was introducing him to, but he wanted to tease the immortal headmaster. "You do know I have a girlfriend, right? And harems are the province of those crappy anime series?"

Ozpin, who was sipping from his mug of hot chocolate, promptly spat it out, nearly choking. Spluttering and coughing, he shot Harry a look. "I would rather not split you and Miss Scarlatina up, Harry, her coming to Beacon aside. Incidentally, Glynda made it very clear that if you wanted to fraternise with Miss Scarlatina, that you do anything beyond kissing off the grounds. There's a number of places in Vale that amorous students frequent for off-campus liaisons, apparently…"

"Yeah, we're not quite there yet," Harry said hurriedly. The one time Yang made a joke about Harry and Velvet 'going at it like rabbits', Harry threatened to shave her head. And while Yang normally got angry at such a threat to her hair, she actually backed down.

"Very well. Nice to see at least one member of the younger generation taking it slowly," Ozpin said. "In any case, given what Mr Black has told me about your magic, I felt we could take the time to discuss procedures in certain situations."

"It's one of the Maidens, right?" Harry asked. "You're having me meet one of the Maidens."

"Correct. Specifically, Amber, the current Fall Maiden. The identities of the Summer and Winter Maidens must remain secret for now, as they are safe to my knowledge, and the Spring Maiden…well, Leonardo has claimed the one I knew has fled Mistral some time ago, so whether she is still alive, or whether there is a new one, is unknown. In all likelihood, they are somewhere in Anima. And I personally suspect that your aunt knows something of her whereabouts."

"Why is that?" Harry asked.

"Rumours, the last known whereabouts of the Spring Maiden, claims of a tribe of bandits using powers beyond that of mere Semblances…that sort of thing. The Spring Maiden was said to be last spotted roughly where Raven's tribe is known to travel, but as there are many towns and villages in that area, I can't be certain, and confronting Raven about it is sure to be counterproductive."

"So, what powers do the Maidens have, exactly? I mean, you were pretty vague about it."

"It varies from Maiden to Maiden, based on the season they have the power of, but they can manipulate any elemental property, such as lightning, ice, fire, and the like, regardless of the season they have the power of. They can fly and manipulate the weather. Amber, aside from the absent Spring Maiden, is the most inexperienced of the Maidens when it comes to her powers, though she should not be underestimated. She could certainly face off against most Hunters well enough, and she has been trained as a Huntress. Better to use those skills first before resorting to powers that can't be explained away as a Semblance."

"Smart," Harry said. "Most wizards and witches back home wouldn't be caught dead doing physical combat of any kind. So, what do they do?"

"The Maidens live their own lives, and I only call them out to action if there is a clear and present threat from Salem, or something like a powerful Grimm," Ozpin said. "If word got out that the Maidens exist outside of fairytales, then it would spark a scramble to harness their power as living weapons, and while they're nowhere near the level of some of Atlas' strongest ordinance, they are still potent enough that a war could be fought over their possession. I have seen it happen at least twice before, and Salem has occasionally managed to suborn Maidens to her side, despite my best efforts."

"So why tell me?" Harry asked.

"I may need you to go and help Amber if she encounters trouble," Ozpin said. "She can handle most things by herself, but I would feel more at ease with a back-up plan…"

* * *

They found her at the edge of the Emerald Forest, where Harry knew that the initiation took place. He had watched the previous year's initiation with Ozpin, Qrow and Goodwitch. Students were flung from special catapult platforms into the forest, and were tasked with retrieving certain objects (what and where varied each year), while the first person they made eye contact with determined their teammate.

Goodwitch was in conversation with a young woman only a few years' Harry's senior, with light brown skin, and brown hair and eyes. "…Nearly old enough to be my father, and he hits on me," the young woman said with a grimace.

"Quite. I assure you, as loose with the rules as Mr Potter is, he is considerably more courteous than his godfather," Goodwitch said archly. "I also know for a fact that he already has a girlfriend, who will be beginning her time at Beacon soon."

"Speak of the devil, and he will appear," Harry remarked. "And Padfoot will hit on anything. He once saw a photo of Sienna Khan, and said, ' _I'd tap that_ '. Okay, she's a sexy tiger Faunus, and I see where he's coming from, but still…she is the leader of what has pretty much become a terrorist group. Any interesting food fights broken up lately, Professor?"

"They are interesting only in the cursed sense of the term, Mr Potter," Goodwitch retorted. "Combine food fights with Semblances, and you can only imagine the cost of cleaning, repairs, and replenishing wasted food stock."

The woman, though, chuckled. "Worth it, though. Ahh, I miss food fights. So, you're Harry Potter? I'm Amber."

He shook her proffered hand, feeling a slight thrill of power when they touched. "Good morning."

"It's safe to speak here," Ozpin said. "Harry had already inferred your status, Amber."

"Yeah. Sorry you got inflicted with those powers, Amber," Harry said.

She flinched, then shot a glare at Ozpin. "He doesn't know of how you gained your powers, Amber. He just views, presumably, the Fall Maiden's power as painting a target on you."

"Hmm. Interesting view, and one most people don't think of. Qrow also mentioned something like that. The truth was…" Amber seemed to gather herself before admitting, "The previous Fall Maiden, my mother, gave me her powers when she was stopping a group of Jaegers attacking our village. I think they were looking to capture her, on top of killing the Faunus in our town."

"Somehow, they found out about Electra(1) residing there," Ozpin said. "She wished to have a quiet life with her family, especially after what happened to Gretchen and Summer, but…"

Harry, trying to distract himself and the others from his rather inadvertent blunder, asked, "Is the power of a Maiden hereditary to any degree?"

"Not exactly," Ozpin said. "While it has passed through family lines before, this is partly because the usual recipient of a Maiden's power is the last woman or girl in the dying thoughts of the previous Maiden. Children of Maidens, or rather those conceived after the Maiden gains their power, do have a predisposition towards the power, but they tend to be any woman or girl from their teens to their middle age. They don't even have to be 'maidens' in the…ahem, _euphemistic_ sense, as I have known women who had already had children to gain the power. They do fall under certain criteria. Even I don't know all the ins and outs of a Maiden's power, and I was the one who granted it to them in the first place."

"Couldn't you have written an instruction manual or something?" Harry remarked wryly.

"It was a spur of the moment gift," Ozpin confessed. "I was at my most misanthropic at the time, and they cheered me up, and out of the goodness of their hearts. I was on the verge of giving up after Salem instigated a pogrom against me and my reincarnations."

"That bad?"

"Worse. Your godfather spoke to me of Azkaban, and while I did not have the Dementors to deal with, it was the same thing, only self-imposed." Ozpin sighed quietly at the distant memory. "High up a remote, cold mountain, living off whatever I could get…that's what my own misanthropy, misotheism, and self-loathing had driven me to."

"Okay…that got dark real fast," Amber said. "Anyway, you want this guy to protect me?"

"On occasion," Ozpin said. "Qrow will be your main assigned shadow when the situation calls for it, but Harry and Mr Black will also take part. It was Mr Lupin who gave me the idea. Namely, a Portkey that will allow the bearer to travel to an assigned location. They can home in on a signal from, say, a Scroll. As a precaution to prevent you from possibly being traced, it will only activate when you use a certain emergency switch on the Scroll. Then, Harry, Qrow, and or Mr Black, will be notified by the Portkey making a noise or something, so that, if they aren't in the middle of something else, they can then activate the Portkey."

Amber looked at Ozpin, before saying, "I would ask if you're not being too paranoid, but…knowing what happened to my mother…"

"Yes," Goodwitch remarked, resettling her glasses on her nose. "Leaving aside the more ambitious politicians of the kingdoms, we also have rogue factions like the White Fang and the Jaegers, to say nothing of Salem."

Amber nodded, before turning to Harry. "I generally go out as a Huntress, helping people against the Grimm, and like Qrow, I also act as Ozpin's eyes and ears at ground level, keeping an eye out for unusual Grimm or possible signs of Salem's influence or her agents. I also keep an eye on the activities of the White Fang and the Jaegers, though lately, their activity is mostly confined to Atlas, while they act as Jacques Schnee's hired thugs in his mines."

"Yeah, Rusty said he's been trying to launch a full investigation into the SDC, but Jacques Schnee has too much influence over the Atlas Council. To do so, he'd have to invoke emergency powers." Harry smirked. "Didn't stop me from sending some interesting presents to that arsehole. Plus, I did a little bit of recon using the Cloak of Invisibility, taking photos within the SDC mines in Atlas. I've sent them to Rusty, and if he can't get Schnee to play ball, well, let's just say there'll be an anonymous leak of the photos and some copied paper files to Lisa Lavender."

"I don't know whether to reprimand you for your illegal action, or applaud you for doing something about it," Goodwitch said. "And 'Cloak of Invisibility'?"

"Oh, right. It's an old heirloom of my family's," Harry said, pulling it out of a satchel. "Dumbledore later told me that he believes it to be one of the Deathly Hallows, ancient magical artifacts supposedly given to three brothers by Death."

Goodwitch took the silvery cloth, and peered at it curiously. She draped it around herself, and murmured, as part of her disappeared, "My word."

"Yeah. I actually tried it while Qrow and I were facing off against Grimm, and, well, it doesn't stop them from sensing your emotions," Harry pointed out. "It won't stop sound or smell either."

"Still, it's rather fascinating," Ozpin said, taking the Cloak from Goodwitch. "Mr Lupin was kind enough to relay the legend of the Deathly Hallows when I asked him about fairy tales of Earth, and Magical Britain in particular. A wand made from an elder tree, supposedly unbeatable. A stone used to conjure up shades of the deceased. And a cloak of perfect invisibility." He handed the Cloak back to Harry. "A shame it may not be able to be copied."

"Still seems useful," Amber said. "There've been times when I would have been glad to have something like that."

"I'm sure. Limitations aside, it's definitely useful," Harry said, putting it away. "Anyway, you're fine with me helping you out if need be?"

"Ozpin vouches for you, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Just keep in mind, I can handle myself most of the time."

"We've also begun training in Occlumency," Ozpin said. "Mr Black had some texts he managed to pilfer from his old family's library with Dumbledore's help a few weeks ago, while you were in Atlas. I'll have you begin such training yourself."

"Sorry, Occlumency?" Harry asked.

"Right, it's a bit of an obscure branch of magic on your world, despite its utility," Ozpin said. "Occlumency is meant as a means of protecting one's mind against Legilimency, which itself is a magical means of mental intrusion. In crude terms, Legilimency is mind-reading, though it is considerably more complex than that, and can be used as a form of mental attack. The reason why I bring this up is that there may be Semblances capable of influencing people's minds. Mr Black brought it up with me while discussing an incident while he was in Vacuo. A girl who called herself Emerald had pickpocketed him, and he had thought, temporarily, that he had given her Lien, thanks to her Semblance. He eventually allowed her to have some of his Lien after he confronted her, but warned her against a repeat incident."

"Okay, good point," Harry said. "I'll have an excuse to stay here for long enough to see Velvet come to Beacon at least, and hopefully for a while after that."

* * *

There was a part of Raven Branwen that was filled with self-loathing, a part of her she didn't acknowledge out loud. It was the part of her that was filled with disgust over walking out on Taiyang and Yang. It was the part of her that sparked her approaching Qrow after she found out about his nephew. It was the part of her that berated herself for taking the Spring Maiden's power.

That was, admittedly, something of a grey area. When the girl fell into their hands, it seemed like a godsend. Raven had tried to train the girl up, to use as a weapon in case Salem or her associates did ever come calling, but that proved to be an exercise in futility. If the power chose the Maiden, then it chose poorly in this case, and Raven, admittedly, coveted that power.

Then again, it was with surprising reluctance that Raven eventually killed the girl. It was because the girl was about Yang's age, so young. She had none of Ruby or Yang's fire, though. She had to admit, Ruby was very like Summer, and for all Summer's irritating optimism, she was also a great fighter, with spirit and gumption. Raven may have left Taiyang and Yang before then, but it was Summer's demise that put the nail in any coffin of any reunion. Summer was the glue that kept them together, and while Raven thought her a fool for thinking Salem could be stopped by conventional means, Raven still liked Summer. Even when Summer had Ruby with Taiyang, Raven still liked her. It was Raven who broke off the relationship with Taiyang, after all.

In any case, it had happened in a moment of rage and weakness. A particularly powerful group of Grimm attacked the tribe, and killed many, and all the Spring Maiden could do was cower in a corner, not use a power that she knew could destroy Grimm. Raven had been pissed, and had skewered the girl on her sword, snarling that if she couldn't use the power, then she should give it to someone who should.

The girl actually looked grateful to Raven's eyes. Or maybe her tendency to justify her own actions warped her memories to that effect. And while it wasn't the first death Raven regretted causing, it was perhaps the strongest. In her darkest nightmares, she saw the girl turn into Summer or Yang, but their dying gazes only showed condemnation.

Raven looked at her hand, the hand that wielded the sword that killed the Spring Maiden. She had once thought strength was everything, beyond all else…and now, she had such power…and yet, it felt so hollow. It meant she had to conceal her powers from any rival bandit tribes, or from anyone else who may exploit her, from Ozpin to Salem.

She thought about her family. Not just the extended family of the tribe, but of those she had left behind. Harry, while still in something of a snit about the events around him coming to Remnant, was at least cordial to her now, though he didn't think much of her banditry. And Yang…well, it privately hurt Raven to stay away from her as much as the reverse was true. But Yang didn't have the mindset to join the tribe. She was strong for her age, but she had too much of her uncle and Taiyang's influence in her, not to mention Summer's.

While Raven had been having doubts about her isolation from her family for some time, it was coming to a head. Something had to give. She just hoped it wouldn't end in disaster when it did…

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Amber, Ozpin's discussing security, and Raven's having dark thoughts.**

 **Now, obviously, what I've written about the pre-Raven Spring Maiden's fate is, in all likelihood, fanon. I'll bet the actual circumstances may come out in a later episode of** ** _RWBY_** **. But because I wanted to humanise Raven a little, and give her a slight but possible chance at redemption, I decided to spin the incident in a manner that, while still very much a betrayal of trust from Raven, she has a bit more reason, and it shows she was telling a part-truth while trying to justify herself to Yang.**

 **I'm going with the concept that Raven was telling the truth about the Spring Maiden not being suited to her power, at least to a degree. It's already canon that she ran away from her training and responsibilities, and maybe she wasn't psychologically suited for them yet. And Raven's training methods wouldn't have helped any, if they're as harsh as her Social Darwinism tendencies. However, I also think that, while Raven's claiming it was a 'mercy' was definitely an attempt at justification, I'm also a little leery of her cold-bloodedly murdering someone she invested a lot of time and effort into, so I wrote up an incident that, while it didn't justify murder by any means, had Raven have a reason to kill the Spring Maiden other than lust for power. It was a spur of the moment thing that Raven actually regrets, partly because, well, it paints a huge target on her back. But also because, well, she regrets killing the girl.**

 **This is not to excuse Raven for what she does in** ** _RWBY_** **canon by any means. But I'm trying to turn her, even by degrees, into a better human being. Harry's influence is slight, but because she's gotten back into contact with Yang, the results are beginning to grow.**

 **Incidentally, I did edit the last chapter a little. Neither Ozpin nor Harry should know that Hazel's working for Salem yet. They suspect that may be the case, but they don't know for sure.**

 **The next chapter may be a while. That being said, I've got a** ** _Kingdom Hearts_** **crossover in the works. Oh, and I have a poll on my profile if you want to look at it. The next chapter will have Harry meeting a certain Invincible Girl…**

 **EDIT: A number of guest reviewers who have a VERY bad case of getting on my nerves and spamming me with their so-called suggestions (really, they only want me to write things the way THEY want me to, forgetting very easily who the writer is) have raised objections to my pairing of Ilia and Hermione. Let me remind you here and now that YOU ARE NOT THE WRITER HERE. I AM. There have been plenty of fics where Hermione is in a same-sex relationship. And their relationship is not the focus of the storyline. I admit, I would struggle to write a same-sex relationship, if it were the main focus of the story. But if it's background, it's another matter entirely. Yes, it's OOC for Hermione, but frankly, it's fanfiction, and we see plenty of characters act OOC in fanfic.**

 **You guys know who you are, and you have been warned. If you keep spamming my stories with your demands, telling me how to write my story, then you will be treated with the due contempt that spam deserves. Put up, shut up, or bugger off. I've tolerated your antics for long enough. I have it, clear as crystal, on my profile that I will NOT tolerate criticism of my choices of where to take the story.  
**

 **Review-answering time!** **Remzal Von Enlil** **: Revenge is not always rational. Hazel thinks that Ozpin treats his students as disposable pawns rather than people. You'll note that, until Ozpin's reincarnation shows up, Hazel is invariably civil (berating Cinder for her failure aside) and calm.**

 **Infernus est in animo** **: I've heard 'Vorpal Bunny' used to refer to the Monty Python rabbit. This is supported by the** ** _Final Fantasy_** **wiki.**

 **hakon2feb** **: As this was going to be a strict Harry/Velvet fic (and was originally a strict Harry/Neo fic), I decided against pairing Hermione with Harry. In this story, Hermione will be paired with Ilia. The reason why Harry was sent to train with Ironwood (and thus Winter) is that Ozpin trusts them to keep quiet about Harry's Semblance, and trusts their skill and competency as trainers. For all their conflict in** ** _RWBY_** **canon, Ozpin seems to trust Ironwood on critical matters. I'd also like to think that, while Ironwood and Winter specialise in their chosen weapons, they are good enough with other weapons to help train Harry.**

 **Black Fang** **: whitetigerwolf already did that with** ** _For Death's Amusement_** **. If I do do another Potterverse/** ** _RWBY_** **crossover, it's definitely going to be Harry/Neo. Then again, how about I put together Harry with a Baked Alaska? Nah, that wouldn't work…**

 **Guest** **(regarding Cinder using the term 'Mudblood' when she's a Squib): Cinder may hate her family, but it's partly because she was treated like crap because she didn't have magic. I personally think that if she did, she would have been, at best, like a toned-down Narcissa. In any case, she used the term mostly to illustrate the different terms they have for first generation magic users. Given her attitude to those in her power, it's not a stretch to believe that she would have been.**

 **A couple of posters pointed out Salem being an internet troll being scarily plausible. I did something not dissimilar in** ** _Under the Light of the Shattered Moon_** **. In the BBS scene in Chapter 11: Discord and Concord, she posts on the BBS under the username of MissAnthropic.**

 **Orochi323** **: You know, when you reminded me of Blake's theme, I actually thought, her name could, to a degree, be a reference to the revolutionary Roj Blake in the old BBC science fiction series** ** _Blake's 7_** **. Think an inversion of** ** _Star Trek_** **where the Federation is an evil dictatorship, and the main characters are criminals and rebels. Then again, it's obscure outside the UK, so I doubt that Monty Oum, Kerry Shawcross, and Miles Luna have heard of it, and Blake Belladonna acts a lot more like Cally from the show than Roj Blake…and is it me, or is Servalan a lot like Cinder or Salem? Hmm, food for thought…and I've derailed that train of thought thoroughly.**

 **1\. Why 'Electra'? Well, in Greek, 'amber' is 'elektron', and in Latin, it is 'electrum', amongst other names. And if you're wondering why it sounds like electricity is derived from it…well, you'd be right. Some of the earliest experiments involving static electricity involved amber.**


	13. Chapter 12: The Invincible Girl and the

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **THE INVINCIBLE GIRL AND THE BOY WHO LIVED**

Harry got the feeling that Yang, Ruby, and Velvet were up to something. After talking to them at Signal for a while, he had been asked to leave so that they could engage in girl talk. But with his birthday coming up soon, he had a notion that covert planning of some kind might be going on.

As he wandered the corridors of Signal, he found himself thinking about his progress. Occlumency was one of those rare branches of magic that could be mostly taught even to a non-magical, as the defences one raised were mostly mental rather than magical. Memory palaces, mental defences, and so on were the order of the day.

Courtesy of Fawkes coming recently, they had received the latest letters from Earth. Ron had been bragging about how Draco Malfoy's fortunes had fallen, as apparently Madam Bones (now Minister of Magic) had begun investigating those who bribed Fudge, and while Lucius Malfoy was able to avoid going to jail, it had cost him many favours and a good chunk of money. And with Snape dead, Draco had lost one of his greatest advocates, with Snape's replacement, Professor Sinistra, proving to be a more objective and strict Head of House.

Ron and Ginny were torn between coming to Remnant or not when they finished their OWLs or NEWTs, though apparently Fred and George, having lost their savings in trying to make a bet with Ludo Bagman during the Quidditch World Cup, were looking to make their fortune here. Tonks, in her letters, had finally made the decision to come, albeit after helping Madam Bones clean up the Wizengamot…as much as it could be, anyway.

Harry missed the Weasleys, but they had their family back home. And Harry had one now too. And a purpose, too. Though he annoyed Hedwig more than a few times by having her stay at Patch: someone carrying an owl around them would look too conspicuous, and Scrolls were better at communication. Still, Taiyang doted on the bird, as did his cousins, so it wasn't like Hedwig was missing out on any affection.

And Hermione, apparently, had a friendship with a chameleon Faunus at Menagerie, though she was apparently careful about that. Ilia was definitely a member of the White Fang, albeit one of those stationed to protect Menagerie. Hermione wasn't blind to it, and was wary of Ilia for the same reason she was wary of the Death Eaters…but she also felt that Ilia was conflicted about what the White Fang was becoming. Harry was sceptical about Hermione's chances of persuading Ilia to defect, especially after the Snape fiasco, but if Hermione genuinely managed it, well, one less member of White Fang was a good thing, nowadays. If Ilia genuinely defected, all the better.

And he was beginning to get a grip on using his inner Grimm. It was still very much a last resort thing, to be saved for using against Grimm with no humans around, but still, he felt that he could change voluntarily now. He still risked it if he got too angry or hateful, though. And it also acted as a beacon for Grimm within a few hundred metres radius, with all the negative emotion pouring through.

He was rather preoccupied that he didn't realise where he was going until he almost bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," he said, looking up. And then, he couldn't help but do a double-take.

The girl was about his age, dressed in a vaguely Grecian combat outfit. Long red hair was done up in a ponytail, and green eyes looked at him keenly…and with an expression of mixed feelings. Not to mention she was gorgeous. And the thing was, he knew this girl. Hell, it would be hard to find a Hunter hopeful in Vale, or indeed anywhere in the world, who didn't know her.

He grimaced when he realised he was staring. _Merlin, now I'm doing it to someone else. Stop it, Harry. She's famous, but so were you back home, and you didn't like it once you realised how fickle people were_. He sighed, and said, "Sorry, that was rude of me. Harry Potter." He held out a hand.

After a moment, the redhead took it, and smiled. "Pyrrha Nikos. But you probably know that already."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm guessing you get too many people recognising you and gawking. I was trying not to inflict that on you."

"That's fine," Pyrrha said, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm used to it. I'm here more or less on holiday. I came to Patch because I thought it'd be quieter."

"And Signal?"

"I just wanted to see how different things were compared to Sanctum, that's all, just out of curiosity. I could check online, but…anyway, the headmaster here agreed to let me look around here quietly, and with many of the students here going home for the summer holidays unless they're boarders…" She shrugged, before looking at the Gae Bolg. "So, you use a spear-rifle too?"

"Yeah. I will admit, the idea came from your own weapon, but I also use it as a staff. You use yours in conjunction with a shield, right?"

Pyrrha nodded. "There's few people on Remnant who wouldn't know that," she pointed out.

"True. Of course, if you ever meet my cousin Ruby, don't get frightened when she starts fangirling out over your weapons as opposed to you," Harry said with a smirk.

Pyrrha actually chuckled. "That'd actually be a nice change. Do you learn here?"

"No. I know my way around because my cousins and my girlfriend come here," Harry said. "It's complicated, but I can't go to Signal or Beacon. I'm still in training, though. What about you? Heading to Haven after you graduate from Sanctum?"

After a moment, she said, "Actually, I'm considering my options. I'm too well-known in Mistral, and people are already saying I'm too good to be true. They call me the Invincible Girl."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that, only for Pyrrha to shoot him a glare. "Sorry, sorry…it's just…I actually had a brush with fame myself. They called me the Boy Who Lived, because I survived a terrorist attack when my adoptive parents didn't. I hated it."

"…I don't think I've ever heard that title before, or your name."

"It's a long story," Harry said. "But you wouldn't have, and I'm glad of it. So I do know a bit about how you feel. Then again, at least you earned your title by kicking arse. And now your face is on cereal boxes."

Pyrrha grimaced at the admittedly joking reminder. "Yeah…they do that with people who win the big tournaments," she said. "I don't eat them myself."

"Neither do I. I prefer toast."

"Harry?" came the voice of Ruby, Yang and Velvet appearing behind the short would-be Huntress.

"Oh, hey. You done with your little conspiracy?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yang said, looking at Pyrrha, and raising an eyebrow wryly. "Hanging out with the famous, Harry?"

"It's not like that! I just almost ran into her." Harry darted a look at Velvet, who seemed amused by his flustered attempts to explain.

"Wait…isn't she the one from the Pumpkin Pete cereal boxes?" Ruby asked.

"Pyrrha Nikos," Yang said, walking over, and shaking the redhead's hand. "The name's Yang Xiao Long. That's my little sister Ruby, and that's Velvet Scarlatina."

Velvet smiled at Pyrrha. Meanwhile, Ruby, predictably, had sped over to Pyrrha's back. "Ooh, is that your weapon?"

Harry shot Pyrrha an amused smirk. "I warned you…"

* * *

After a period of time with the other three girls and Harry, Pyrrha seemed to relax. Ruby was aware of Pyrrha's track record in tournaments, but she was more in awe of Pyrrha's weapons than fangirling out over Pyrrha herself, and once Pyrrha had explained her spear and shield, Ruby spoke to her a little more normally. Yang was more relaxed around the redhead, while Velvet was opening up a little, especially once Pyrrha made it clear that she had no dislike against Faunus. Well, save for the White Fang, anyway.

They were seated in the cafeteria (thankfully, there weren't many other students around), and Pyrrha was relaying an anecdote about Professor Lionheart, when he presented her with the medal for winning her first tournament, only for Pyrrha to sneeze, startling the lion Faunus. "And he leapt at least three feet into the air! I mean, he's meant to be a Huntsman, so what was with him?"

"Professor Ozpin said that Lionheart's always been a bit skittish," Harry said. "Apparently it was due to his father's favourite training method. The guy was very harsh. Used to chuck him into the wilderness and get him to survive against Grimm. Lionheart was always more of a scholar than a Huntsman."

"That I can believe," Pyrrha said. "I've met him a few times, while he was currying my favour to come to Haven. To be honest, though, I'm considering other choices. I'm too well-known in Mistral. I've already won my third tournament, and before I go to a full Hunter Academy, I'm fighting in the next Mistral Regional Tournament. And a lot of people will probably say I got into Haven because of my fame. They're already saying that about my grades, but they're the result of a lot of hard work, believe me."

"Hey, I believe you," Yang said, shrugging. "I don't doubt you worked hard to get where you are, even with talent. Look at Ruby here. She really got better at fighting once Uncle Qrow taught her, and that was all hard work."

"Yeah, Qrow's a slave driver," Harry said. He had to admit, when Qrow got serious, he was a good trainer. While Qrow preferred to use his scythe-sword Harbinger in battle, he could use a variety of weapons, and he taught Harry how to wield the Gae Bolg effectively. "But he's good at what he does."

"Yeah. I mean, I used to be complete garbage, but now, I'm all…" Ruby made some martial arts gestures and noises that were frankly childish, but with Ruby, they were just endearing. Pyrrha and Velvet giggled at the display.

"I've seen her turn most of a pack of Beowolves into confetti when we were visiting Mom's grave," Yang said. "She would have done them all, but I was dealing with the rest of them. Unfortunately, Crescent Rose got damaged, and so she had to work on an improved version."

"Well, a scythe hybridised with a high-impact sniper rifle is pretty inspired as far as weapons choices are concerned," Pyrrha said. "Especially given your frame. Let me guess, you use the recoil to boost your mobility in combat?"

"Of course! My Semblance is to go really fast, and with Crescent Rose, I can go even faster! Like, warp speeds!"

"Good. Mobility in combat is a boon. I actually know of this girl at Sanctum, rather energetic, by the name of Nora. She uses a combination of warhammer and grenade launcher quite well in combat, using the recoil to move at speed. You use the recoil to boost the cutting power of Crescent Rose?"

"Well, duh!"

Pyrrha chuckled. She then turned her attention to Velvet. "And you discussed what your weapon and your Semblance can do. If you want to take a photograph of my weapons, go ahead. I've heard about the initiations most Hunter Academies do, and the more you have, the better."

"You don't mind?" Velvet asked.

"Of course not. I understand why some people might get a bit annoyed, but frankly, if it helps you survive against a Grimm, then go ahead." She then got an impish grin. "I just don't want to see the photos on social media, okay?"

Velvet shook her head vehemently, blushing. "Hey, we ain't gonna brag," Yang said. "Hell, if you come to Beacon, we'd treat you like one of us. At least you know what you're doing when it comes to fighting. And that's what matters when fighting Grimm. Though I can't say the same thing for some people."

"I know. I'm used to my fame following me about, though I don't like it," Pyrrha confessed.

 _Tell me about it_ , Harry thought darkly to himself. Velvet, whom he was sitting next to, sensed his dark mood, and gently put an arm around his shoulder.

"People want to be famous until they become it," Velvet said quietly.

After a rather uncomfortable moment, Yang said, "Hey, hey, we're not here to be depressed! We're here to have a chat. Anyway, there was this one time…"

* * *

In the meeting hall of Salem's palace, Cinder glared at the image on the Scroll, of a picture taken of Sirius Black. As she did so, she nearly jumped when she heard the sound of her mistress' voice. "My dear Cinder…you seem obsessed with that man."

Cinder sighed as she tried to calm her heartbeat. "Obsession is a strong word. As much as I despised my old family, I despised him even more. He claimed he would come back for me, but even before he was sent to Azkaban, he never did. No, he turned his back on virtually all the Blacks, even those who needed his help, aside from that bitch Andromeda, and she didn't even try to help me either. I am obsessed with avenging myself on my family in general. Sirius only shares a small part of the blame by comparison, but share it he does."

"And the others?"

"They're threats to be sure, and I don't want to underestimate them…but I don't despise them the way I do Sirius," Cinder said, looking behind her and meeting Salem's crimson-on-black eyes.

Salem met her gaze, before caressing Cinder's face gently with an ice-cold hand. "Cinder…while I can understand the desire for revenge, of spite, of hatred and vendetta…I will also remind you not to let such feelings jeopardise our plans. Hazel understands this much, at least. Model yourself on him."

"And not Tyrian or Watts?" Cinder asked.

"Do not presume that I am unaware of my subordinates' flaws, Cinder. I am aware of yours. As long as their obedience is absolute, and they do not allow their flaws to outweigh their strengths…surely Arthur was civil to you when he asked for details about magic?"

"Yes. It was so unlike the condescending bastard."

Salem's grasp on her face just became a touch tighter, the cold just a touch sharper. "I have warned Arthur on his behaviour towards you, and I would ensure the same with you. He may be a condescending bastard, as you put it, but he is a useful and loyal condescending bastard, and in truth, he would probably laugh at you using the term. However, I want a minimum of bickering between the two of you." She then removed her hand. "In any case, be thankful it is not his mentor. Doctor Merlot may be loyal to me, but he is also…unhinged. He has his uses, but they are admittedly limited."

Cinder grimaced at the thought of the mad scientist, responsible for the fall of Mountain Glenn. For all Watts' obsession with the Grimm and his condescending attitude, he at least was more calculating and civil when he put his mind to it. Merlot, though, was a madman with the barest thin veneer of civility, marching to the beat of his own drum, and his loyalty to Salem was more dubious than that Watts had to Salem. "Then why keep him?"

"He will serve as a useful distraction to Professor Ozpin when the time comes," Salem said. "Watts knows most of what Merlot does, and what's more, has the discipline that Merlot lacks. Do not lack discipline, Cinder. When the time comes, I will deliver Sirius wrapped up in a bow. Whether dead or alive depends on how troublesome he will be, but if he's alive…then you may do what you will with him. By that point, you should have the power of at least one of the Maidens. We have intelligence of where the Fall Maiden is known to frequent. How appropriate that Ozpin's fall will begin with the Fall Maiden. And you can use those powers to potentially teach Sirius Black the lesson he deserves. By joining Ozpin, he is committing a grave folly. He will learn that ere he dies…"

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Pyrrha through butterfly wings, and Cinder is contemplating a misplace revenge.**

 **That last scene was written to bump up the wordcount a little. I wanted to have Cinder have a vendetta against Sirius, and wrote in plausible reasons why. She basically has this misplaced hatred towards him for not rescuing him from the Blacks, and because he's the only other Black on Remnant (at least from HER Black family: there's Marcus and Mercury, obviously), well, she wants to make him suffer.**

 **To her, Harry, Hermione and Lupin are incidental. She'd rather kill Harry instantly (though that will change once he starts interfering with her plans), as well as the others. Salem's trying to temper her desire for revenge. A shame Salem didn't do enough of that in canon. Well, a shame for Salem and Cinder.**

 **As for Pyrrha, I actually thought that she'd be like Harry in a few regards, only she actually earned her fame. Once she's broken the ice with Ruby, Yang, Velvet and Harry, she acts a bit more normally.**

 **We'll have a timeskip to Velvet's initiation, and Harry watching it, for the next chapter.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 13: Team CFVY

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **TEAM CFVY**

 _A couple of months later_ …

Velvet could feel her heart hammering in her chest. This was it, her Beacon initiation. She was standing on one of the catapult platforms that, before long, would fling her into the Emerald Forest, at considerable speed.

Ozpin was making his speech about how the initiation worked, Professor Goodwitch standing by his side, as was Harry. It was that which helped her have the wherewithal to get through this. "That being said, upon landing, the first student you make eye-contact with will be your partner for your time at Beacon."

 _Oh no_ , Velvet thought with a wince. She was hoping that she would be paired with Coco, if only because she was familiar with her. But still…

"Once you have a partner, make your way to the northern end of the forest. There will be relics placed there in ruins of a temple. Keep in mind that you will encounter opposition in the form of Grimm. Do not hesitate to kill them, before they do the same to you. Once you have retrieved your relic, make your way back here. Are there any questions?"

One brave soul put up their hand, but was promptly ignored. Velvet shot a look at Harry, who smiled reassuringly at her. _Good luck_ , he mouthed. She nodded, and prepared for launch.

As she did so, she found herself thinking over the past couple of months. Of their birthdays, of the dates they had had…the gradual blossoming of their love and their lust…until one date…well, it went very well indeed. Even the memory brought a faint blush and a smile to her face. Her rabbit ears were often a source of torment when bullies tugged on them…but stroked the right way, by a careful lover, and, well…she was sure that helped make the night even more enjoyable, for her at least.

Harry was troubled, though. Velvet had some understanding that, due to his Semblance, Harry could not enter Beacon normally, and was thus trained elsewhere, by expert Hunters. She knew Qrow Branwen was one, and there was General Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee of the Atlesian Military. Harry had, albeit with Ozpin's permission, admitted he was working for Ozpin under the table for secret things. What they were, he couldn't specify for various reasons.

Velvet understood. She intended to ask Ozpin herself, though, see if she could get something out of the man. Though for now, she had to think of a landing strategy. Probably using one of the weapons she had at her disposal, though she had to choose wisely, using a weapon that wouldn't be as useful against a Grimm.

Then, the catapult activated, and she was sent flying with a scream that was part fright and part elation…

* * *

Harry shaded his eyes with his hand as Velvet went flying. "What if these poor sods don't have a landing strategy?" he asked when the last students were thrown into the air.

"We trust that their Aura will protect them," Ozpin said. "And despite our warning, we do actually have staff monitoring their battles, ready to come in if there's any true danger they can't handle. I'm glad you came to show support to Miss Scarlatina."

"She's my girlfriend. I want to help her where I can, and Velvet needs, well, a good hug at times."

"I'm sure. Incidentally, thank you for that interesting movie you managed to obtain from Earth. I really had no idea that there was a 'wizard of Oz'," Ozpin said, sipping from his mug. "Though I assure you, it's somewhat of an astonishing coincidence."

Goodwitch harrumphed. "I, for one, am certainly not going to wear something like that Glynda wore."

Harry decided, then and there, to suggest a prank to Sirius along those very lines. He checked his Scroll, Ozpin allowing him to access the camera feeds dotted throughout the Emerald Forest. To his delight, he found Velvet pretty quickly, and noted that she was with Coco. "Seems like Velvet's found her partner already," he said. "Coco's a bit overbearing at times, but she'll keep Velvet safe."

"Indeed. The team selection is actually not as random as you might think, actually," Ozpin confessed. "I…change the vectors of the catapults to increase the chances of certain partners coming together."

"I see," Harry said. "Makes sense."

"…Incidentally, Qrow tells me that your relationship is on the mend."

"Sort of," Harry said with a resigned sigh. "He's come back to Patch, as you doubtless know. It's hard to think of him as a father at times. I'm closer to Taiyang, and Ruby and Yang are pretty much my sisters in every way but blood. But…he's trying. It was during my birthday, really. He got me this album, filled with photos. No, not just him. Raven, too. I got to see my mother, my uncle, and my aunts…back when it was happier times. Before my mother was kidnapped, and Summer died." He emitted a bitter chuckle. "Happier times…anyway, it was also partly Ruby and Yang trying to get me to mend bridges with him. You know how much they idolise Qrow, especially Ruby."

"Of course," Ozpin said. "Harry, while I do not want to force people to mend relationships that are strained…Qrow is a good man. He's flawed, but he's done a lot for me, more than I really should expect him to. I would rest easier knowing you two have a better relationship."

"Thanks, but like I said, I'm closer to Taiyang than him," Harry said.

"And that's fine. Taiyang's a good man too. True, there was a time after Summer died that he…well, he wasn't there for Yang and Ruby as much as he would've liked to be."

Harry nodded. "I know. Yang and Qrow have told me of that little incident where she brought Ruby out to start looking for Raven. By the way, did Qrow tell you what Raven told us at the birthday party?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes…that she will be keeping an eye on the Spring Maiden, and that Leonardo is not to be trusted. Rather vague, that warning, but in retrospect, I have noticed some disturbing changes in my old friend recently. He's become more skittish, and some of the information he sends to me has been misleading. He claims he made mistakes due to stress from overwork, and I never really thought about it, but still…I hope she is wrong. As for the Spring Maiden…as long as Raven does not betray the Spring Maiden to Salem, I will let her guard her for now."

"I hope that you know what you're doing, Professor," Goodwitch said.

"Raven may not be on our side anymore, but she is certainly not on Salem's," Ozpin said. "As long as her interests and ours coincide where Salem is concerned, we can trust her in that much if nothing else."

"Yeah, but she and Yang…they're very different," Harry remarked. "They haven't really buried the hatchet per se, but at least they're on speaking terms. Besides, she leads those bandits and despoils those villages in Anima, leaving them prey to the Grimm. And she has the gall to go on about that 'the strong survive' bollocks. Though sometimes, I think she just says it to kid herself."

"In all likelihood, yes. Raven, I believe, may still be a good person beneath it all. It was the pain of Gretchen's death that drove her away. That, and fear that Salem may be unstoppable."

"And is she?"

"I'll be honest, in all my years of opposing her, I don't know. She could very well be. But…is there no point in trying to stop her?"

Harry sighed softly to himself. He didn't know, to be honest. But even if defeating her for once and for all was impossible, preventing her from enacting her plans was worthwhile…he hoped. Changing the awkward subject, he said, "Ruby's getting along very well with Penny."

"Yes, James mentioned that, actually. He was glad that Penny was making a friend, even if he's yet to admit that she is a gynoid. From what you've told me about her, I think that James made the right decision with her, to treat her as a person. He is obsessed with mechanisation, true, but at least he's treating Penny as something more than one of his Atlesian Knights. I have no objections to an artificial being like Penny being created, as long as they are treated like people, and given the choice to fight. And by what little my sources tell me, Penny has been given that choice."

"I still find it hard to believe that General Ironwood has created a robot capable of generating Aura," Goodwitch remarked. "That's an astonishing feat in of itself." She looked down at her Scroll. "Hmm, it seems that the first would-be students have reached the temple ruins. Mr Alistair and Mr Daichi have taken the first of the relics."

Harry looked at his own Scroll, and raised an eyebrow. "Replica weapons? Really?"

"Weapons with two parts," Ozpin said. "We have a sword and a scabbard, a bow and a quiver of arrows, a rifle with a bandoleer, and so on. Mr Alistair and Mr Daichi have taken the quiver of arrows, so whoever gets the bow will be the other half of their team. I will override this if I believe the team is completely incompatible, but that happens less often than you think."

Harry watched on in silence, until he saw Coco and Velvet finally making their way to the ruins, with Coco eventually choosing the bow. As they left, Harry said, "So, Velvet and Coco are on the same team as…" He thought of the names of 'Mr Alistair' and 'Mr Daichi', the former being a red-haired, dark-skinned boy with eerie white eyes, and the latter being a tall, burly, Asiatic-looking guy. "Fox Alistair and Yatsuhashi Daichi. So…" Another bit of thought. "What team name can you come up with?"

"CFVY," Ozpin said, pronouncing the name as 'coffee'. Before sipping from his mug as if it contained said beverage, and not hot chocolate. "I already noticed Miss Adel showing her leaderships skills when dealing with the Grimm, so she's tentatively pencilled in as team leader. Still, you should be proud of Miss Scarlatina."

"I don't need to be. I'm always proud of her," Harry said. He shot Ozpin a look, his eyes temporarily becoming that of his inner Grimm, as was his voice. " _Just know that if anyone hurts her deliberately, just because she's a Faunus, or tries to take advantage of her, I will_ _ **end**_ _them, if Coco doesn't._ "

"Please don't do that," Ozpin said, as Harry returned to normal. "While it's good to see you gaining more control over your Semblance, it's more than a little disconcerting."

"Besides," Goodwitch said primly, "it won't be long before the first students return here. And rest assured, if I witness any bullying of her for her being a Faunus, I will deal with it." She tapped her riding crop against her shoulder pointedly, as she held her Scroll with the other. "And as you pointed out, I am sure Miss Adel would do it first…"

* * *

True to Ozpin's earlier remarks, Velvet was now part of Team CFVY. Harry watched with a smile as the entrance ceremony, showing the teams, came around to them. Velvet's eyes met his, and her nervous expression gained a smile.

After all was said and done, they went to the canteen for some dinner, and Harry sat with CFVY, being introduced to the other two members. He got the impression that Alistair Fox would be the quiet type. After greeting Harry, he barely spoke a word. The gigantic Yatsuhachi, while a quiet type himself, was friendly, albeit a little awkward.

"It's just as well that we didn't encounter any truly dangerous Grimm," Coco remarked. "I have heard rumours of a Death Stalker residing in a cave somewhere in the Emerald Forest, and I know for a fact that there are a number of Nevermores in the area. And while we do need chances to prove ourselves, I think Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and Ursas should do for an initiation test. Though I daresay Ruby and Yang would ace that test, even if that were the case."

"Who?" Fox asked.

"My cousins, though I think of them as sisters," Harry said. "Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. Velvet and Coco know them. Yang'll be in Beacon next year, so you'll get to meet her at least. And Ruby's a weapon fanatic, and probably the deadliest fourteen year old on Remnant with that rifle-scythe of hers."

"And are they that good?" asked Yatsuhachi.

Harry shrugged. "It may sound like bragging, but I think both would be good enough to enter Beacon as they are now. Even Ruby."

"While he is exaggerating a little," Coco said, "Ruby is indeed very skilled. Both of them are. However, they require more schooling first."

"And you two are boyfriend and girlfriend?" Yatsuhachi asked, looking at Harry and Velvet, who were sitting next to each other.

"Of course," Velvet said with a smile. "He's really sweet."

"When I'm not being sour, anyway," Harry retorted gently.

"Harry and Velvet make each other happy," Coco said with a careless shrug. "What else needs to be said?"

* * *

Roman Torchwick was surprised when he received the visitor without warning at one of his hideouts. Especially a visitor he recognised from his own time at Beacon, being in one of the senior Hunter teams at the time Roman joined. "As I live and breathe!" Torchwick said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Hazel Rainart! Long time no see!"

The hulking ex-Hunter's eyes narrowed. "Torchwick…still got that sense of élan you harped on about, if nothing else," he rumbled. "Hamming it up like some villain in a movie." He looked over to Neo, and his features softened. "I remember you. Did you enjoy your ice cream?"

The girl nodded with a warm smile. "Oh? Did you know Hazel, Neo?" Roman asked.

"She was lingering around an ice cream stand in rags, and the owner was telling her to leave," Hazel said. "I bought her an ice cream…Neapolitan, if I recall. This was years ago, long before she met you, I presume. Is she happy?"

"Neo is the only person I care about in this shithole of a world, Hazel," Roman said, in what was probably the most truthful statement he had ever spoken in his life. Oddly enough, so was the next statement. "She is to me what Gretchen was to you. Frankly, I'm sorry that happened. I heard you had a major blowup with Ozpin about it."

Hazel scowled. "Don't talk to me about Ozpin. It's tempting to head up to Beacon here and now to smash his skull, but my employer would not like it. That being said, I want to retain your services, in gathering information. I want to use you as a proxy, as Ozpin would know the moment I approached someone more prominent like Hei Xiong."

Roman nodded. "Okay, I get it. Under the radar. Information gathering. For your employer?"

"Later. I am retaining you personally at first to find out as much information about one of Ozpin's protégés, currently residing with Taiyang Xiao Long on Patch," Hazel said. "He is a boy of about sixteen called Harry Potter, with dark hair, green eyes, and has a distinctive scar on his forehead." He handed a photo over, which Roman examined.

"I think I may have seen him in passing," Roman mused. "He's often in the company of Taiyang Xiao Long and a couple of kids, presumably Taiyang's. And there's a rabbit Faunus with him too. Are you interested in information gathering only, or would you like him brought to you?"

"Just information gathering for now," Hazel said, taking a bunch of Lien cards out and placing them on Roman's desk, along with a file. "No action to be taken unless I say so. You do well, Torchwick, and there will be more work for you, and more Lien with it. Just don't attract attention to yourself…more than you usually do."

"I am the very picture of discretion, Hazel," Roman said, taking the Lien cards. "Incidentally, who is your current employer?"

Hazel gave a scoff. "Discretion works both ways, Torchwick. Be thankful for your ignorance, for now. And look after her." He indicated Neo.

"Neo can look after herself well. The first time I met her, she was carving up Hei Xiong's uncle like a Sunday roast," Roman said. "And I will. I always do."

Hazel nodded, before scribbling down a Scroll number. "Send any substantial reports to my Scroll. Anything beyond what that file gives you. I'll be in touch." And with that, Hazel walked out.

Roman looked at Neo, green eyes matching heterochromic pink and brown. Neo's body language seemed inquisitive and puzzled. "Yes, it is a lot of money to look at some kid who's not even at Beacon, even if he's a protégé of Ozpin's. I wonder why?"

Neo shrugged, and then gestured to the files and photos. "Do the job? Well, why not? He's paid, and while I am a thief, being paid to do work is not too bad. Well, Neo, it seems we should start investigating Harry Potter…"

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, that just happened. So, Harry and Velvet have taken their relationship to the next level, Team CFVY has been formed, and Hazel has recruited Roman to find out more about Harry.**

 **The original version of this chapter ended with Harry encountering Hazel at Summer's grave site at Patch, and getting involved in a fight, but I decided that was moving things along way too quickly. I was trying to figure out how to close the chapter, when I hit upon doing the bit with Roman and Neo. Let's face it, they're two of my favourite characters from the series (though TBH, I actually prefer Gray Haddock as Locus in** ** _Red vs Blue_** **, having watched the Chorus Trilogy…not to mention it's scary listening to Miles Luna play Felix, a complete contrast with Jaune).**

 **Speaking of** ** _Red vs Blue_** **, I have a crossover with that series and Harry Potter, called** ** _Freelancer, Medic, Mage_** **. Imagine Harry as a Freelancer, and paired with Carolina, and getting involved in the events of Season 6.**

 **Incidentally, I'm not sure how long the next update will be. I already had this chapter mostly written when Chapter 12 was posted, I just didn't know how to finish it after I discarded the original version.**

 **Review-answering time!** **LoamyCoffee** **: I don't think Cinder could ever be called a reasonable person.**

 **orion0905** **: I'm not sure there's many Harry/Pyrrha stories (partly because I am sure there are many fans who don't want to break up Arkos, which I understand: I like the pairing, though I have heard there are toxic elements of the fandom that despise it). I know of one by EmeraldGuardian7,** ** _The Wizard and the Grimm_** **, as well as** ** _Life of a Huntsmen_** **(sic) by Fenozzel12 and** ** _The Second Chance_** **by SilverAegis.**

 **Celestia GF of the Void** **: Sadly, I don't know when or even if I will be updating them. It's all dependent on inspiration, not on people asking me to update them.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	15. Chapter 14: Intrigue

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **INTRIGUE**

General Ironwood peered at the image of Ozpin on the video link. "So you were unaware that Hazel Rainart was in Vale last night?"

" _Believe me, James, had I known, I would have found a way to apprehend him. I'm surprised that one of your people spotted him._ "

"We had someone keeping an eye on the movements of Roman Torchwick," Ironwood said. "We were lucky to spot him. Why would one of Salem's associates approach one of the most notorious criminals in Vale?"

" _Why indeed?_ " Ozpin mused, taking a sip of cocoa from that damned mug of his. " _Hazel may be one of Salem's best operatives, but he's far from invincible, and if my people had spotted him, we may have been able to take him into custody. So what had him risk contacting Roman Torchwick personally? It would be important to either himself, or to Salem. And I have a sinking feeling I know what…or rather, who._ "

Ironwood nodded, guessing who Ozpin was alluding to. "Harry Potter…his nephew."

" _Indeed. So we had better hope that it is a personal mission rather than one ordered by Salem. In fact, we had better hope that, if Hazel suspects that Harry is his relative, he didn't share that information with Salem yet._ "

Ironwood frowned as he thought about that. "If Salem learns that the boy she experimented on while he was in the womb is alive, she might attempt to abduct or kill him, depending on whether she considers him of any use. But if Hazel is doing this on his own, if he learns the truth, that Salem experimented on Gretchen when she was pregnant with Harry…"

" _My thoughts exactly. Hazel's desire for revenge may end up redirected against Salem, or at least divided between myself and Salem_ ," Ozpin said. " _I have little hope that he will wish to reconcile with me…but if he turns on Salem, one of her most powerful lieutenants will be turned against her._ "

"Better than nothing, but I have heard the rumours about some of those under her," Ironwood muttered. "Incidentally, those people you sent to Menagerie, have they found anything?"

" _Nothing substantial. They're not spies by profession, James. The Belladonnas seem unaware of the direction that Sienna Khan has been taking the White Fang. Not wholly, but the White Fang have been engaging in information control and counter-propaganda. Jacques' practises and his possible links to the Jaegers don't help, either._ "

"He's good at covering himself, Ozpin, and you know it. The Atlesian Council is too deep in his pocket for me to do anything beyond standard investigations, and even those get bogged down in the bureaucracy," Ironwood scowled. "Winter has been a great help, but I can't help you, Ozpin, if that cold-hearted bastard manages to get the Atlesian Council to force me to step down. I despise politics, and I despise walking this tightrope, but…"

" _I understand, James. I hate it myself. But sooner or later, the time will come for a stand to be made. Better to unite now in camaraderie than out of grudging necessity during a cataclysmic war against Salem. That's partly why I sent Harry to you in the first place._ "

Ironwood nodded. "It's also why I assented to Penny Polendina having communications with Ruby Rose." A smile touched the grizzled general's lips. "As eccentric as Miss Rose is, and as much as I fear those eccentricities may rub off on Penny, she has helped Penny become more confident. As for Potter, he's insolent and insubordinate, and takes after his father too much for my liking, save for his alcoholism, thankfully. But he's a damned good fighter. Too good, for his age…but if he's willing to fight, and aware of the risks…"

" _He fights for those he loves, James_ ," Ozpin said. " _For family and friends. A monster may sleep within him, thanks to Salem, but she underestimated the power of the human spirit_ …"

* * *

Harry blushed a little as he closed the book. It was, admittedly, a bit raunchier than he expected, though at least the quality of the writing made up for it. He opted to buy it, along with the other books he had bought. _Ninjas of Love_ by Patty Berdioler(1) had already gained his attention, and he wondered whether Velvet might be up to re-enacting the scene he had just read.

It was the day after his watching Velvet's initiation, and the formation of Team CFVY. He had decided he had wanted to do a bit of shopping in Vale before he headed back to Patch. And one of his stops was Tukson's bookshop. Harry had become a semi-regular customer of the burly puma Faunus on his visits to Vale.

That being said, Tukson did have some odd behaviour. He still seemed a little wary of Harry at times. Then again, maybe it was because he was a Faunus, and was used to being shat on by idiots. He had relaxed a little when Harry came in with Velvet and they had admitted their relationship. Harry couldn't call what Tukson felt towards him fear or anything. It was more of a heightened alertness.

As he moved away from one bookshelf, the door to the store opened, and a rather odd couple about his age came in, a boy and a girl. The boy was wearing a hat. He had a rather handsome face, framed by red hair, though his pale green eyes had something in them Harry didn't like. Especially when they spotted Harry, and something dangerous flashed in them. The other was a dark-haired girl, with a bow on her head, golden eyes peering at him curiously, if warily. She looked familiar to Harry.

"Blake, wait here," the boy said.

The girl nodded, and Harry realised why she looked familiar. Hermione had sent Scroll photos of a woman who looked like her, a cat Faunus. Kali Belladonna. There were differences in hairstyle and skin tone, and the cat ears were presumably being concealed by that bow, but Harry was sure that the girl was Blake Belladonna, Kali's daughter.

He then heard Tukson say, quietly, "Adam? What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." The boy, presumably Adam, had a tone that brooked no argument, and Harry soon heard a door closing.

Harry tried to keep a grimace off his face. If Blake Belladonna was here, then that meant that the boy was Adam Taurus, the leader of one of the more brutal White Fang cells, according to Qrow. Which meant that Tukson had links to White Fang. And Harry was potentially in trouble.

However, Blake noticed the book in his hands. " _Ninjas of Love?_ " she asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I thought it was…"

"A little steamy?" she asked, a slight teasing smile touching her lips, and a blush dusting her cheeks. "I've read it myself. It's a good book."

"Oh? So girls like reading it too?" Harry asked, slightly relieved of his own embarrassment.

"Yes. A friend of mine…she gave me a copy as a birthday present. I was a bit surprised, but it was a good book," Blake said.

"Harry Potter," Harry said, holding out his hand, which Blake took.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna."

Harry nodded, debating with himself whether to mention that he knew she was a Faunus. Instead, he asked, "So, you new to Vale?"

"Not exactly, but I haven't been that often," she said. "You?"

"I've been living in Patch with relatives for a while," Harry said. "My girlfriend's just started at Beacon, so I was there to wish her well."

"That's good to hear…"

* * *

"And another thing, Tukson," Adam Taurus growled. "You knew we had arranged a meeting for today, so why did you have a human present?"

"I have a business to run, beyond maintaining my cover and laundering our funds," Tukson said, crossing his arms and glaring at the belligerent bull Faunus. "Besides, Harry is one of my best customers, and he is a supporter of the Faunus cause."

"But not the White Fang, and in any case, he is a human, which makes him the enemy," Adam said.

"Remember who you are talking to, Taurus," Tukson said. "I am your senior in terms of both experience and position. My loyalty is to Sienna Khan directly, not to you. Our goal is to force human acceptance of us, not enslavement or extermination. We deal with the humans with the precision of a scalpel, not a sledgehammer, especially those involved with the Schnee Dust Company."

"And I think you should think about what we really need to do," Adam sneered back. "Sienna Khan may do more than that fool Ghira…but I still think it is not far enough."

"Regardless of what you think, Taurus, you are to obey any orders from Sienna Khan. She is the head of White Fang, not you. Now, here's the latest intelligence I managed to gather…"

* * *

"…And then, Yang sent that guy flying. He deserved it for spitting on Ruby's cookies, though," Harry concluded.

Blake seemed torn between mortification and laughing. "Really?"

"Three things to do that are guaranteed to piss off Yang," Harry said, showing three fingers, lowering them to count off the reasons. "Hurting someone she cares about, especially her sister; implying she embodies the dumb blonde bimbo stereotype; and damaging her hair."

"Really?" Blake said again.

"Ruby and I are the only people who can get away with it at all," Harry said. "The last time my godfather tried, he ended up being hung upside-down from a tree and smeared with Forever Fall sap to attract insects."

Blake actually began to laugh. And that was when the redhead, presumably Adam, came back. When he came up to them, he asked, "What's so funny, Blake?"

"Sorry, I was telling your friend about this one time my godfather tried pranking my cousin, and paid the price. Forever Fall sap and insects was involved in the retribution. I'm Harry."

The redhead looked at Harry's proffered hand, and took it, though Harry noticed a moment's hesitation. "Adam. I'm glad you kept Blake amused. She doesn't smile enough."

"Shame. It's better to smile if you can, given how the Grimm are drawn to negative emotions. You here to buy books?"

"No. Tukson's an old friend of our families," Adam said. "But we need to get going. Come on, Blake."

Blake nodded, and followed her fellow Faunus out of the bookshop. Harry shook his head as he watched them both go. Adam Taurus, and Blake Belladonna. There was something dangerous about the former, definitely, even without what Qrow and Ozpin had told him.

He shook his head, and went to pay for his books. He decided he really needed something to eat now…

* * *

Roman frowned as he got off the phone with Junior, a special line for getting information, scrambled. Junior's information hadn't really added to what he already knew from these files. Well, apart from this Harry Potter having one of those animals as a girlfriend. Then again, pulling up a photo from the Beacon's official Chirper feed about yesterday's initiation (Roman thought that Ozpin should have tagged it with #FreshMeat), he had to admit, she was a cutie with those bunny ears. Still, Velvet was marked down in his mind as potential leverage, just in case Hazel wanted that.

Hazel or his employers had already gained some important information. Apparently this Harry Potter was the son of that dipsomaniac Qrow Branwen (maybe Potter was the surname of the mother?). If he had even a tenth of the skill of his old man, he'd be a formidable Huntsman. Unlike Qrow, Harry apparently used a rifle-spear, more like that girl who was on the Pumpkin Pete cereal boxes.

What could Roman obtain that Hazel and his associates hadn't obtained already? Maybe what Harry's Semblance was? Or why he didn't actually attend Signal or any other academy? The file suggested he had been taken out into the field for training. Still, Hazel had paid him good money for this job, and while Roman would have loved to bilk most people stupid enough to pay him that much for a vague job, Hazel was not 'most people'.

Which was why it was handy to have a minion capable of camouflage, disguise and, if necessary, a quick getaway. And Neopolitan was far more than just a minion. If there was anyone Roman actually gave a crap about, someone to whom he had even a scrap of empathy for, it was her. He had found her standing over the eviscerated but still living body of the Boss, Junior's uncle and predecessor as a crime boss, probably due to become the old paedophile's latest fucktoy, but she fought back, and won.

The two weren't lovers. No, their relationship was of brother and sister, united not by blood, but by purpose. They'd been fucked over by the world (admittedly, Neo more than Roman), and so, they were going to fuck it right back. Their creed was to lie, steal, cheat and survive. And Roman didn't want to have her hurt.

So, he was having Neo tail Harry Potter whenever he was in Vale. Discreetly, of course: Roman cared about Neo's safety, and it wouldn't do to alert Potter, or Ozpin and his little cock-sucking sycophants that someone had an interest in him. Maybe he could get some useful information…

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Harry's met Blake and Adam, and plots and intrigue abound.**

 **Review-answering time!** **coduss** **: I think the problem was that Cardin was savvy enough not to do it around the teachers (maybe the teachers only enter the cafeteria on 'patrol', so to speak, and Cardin does it when they're not around). Proving who is the bully isn't always clear-cut IRL, either.**

 **MartinDeShade** **: Harry's upset because he's been effectively kidnapped, pulled away from everything he knew, thanks to the Branwens. Keep in mind, he's still thinking of Hogwarts as a magical refuge away from Privet Drive. And they're suddenly telling him they're his relatives, relatives that he thought should have come to help him sooner. He's a teenager, he's not exactly thinking clearly anyway.**

 **1\. This is the name given to the author of** ** _Ninjas of Love_** **in** ** _RWBY Chibi_** **.**


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